Junior G-Man
by raspberry dreams
Summary: Agent Reid encounters an unsub who turns him into a teenager again. Note Slash pairing but no sexual contact occurs while he is underage.
1. Chapter 1

Junior G-Man

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

Chapter 1

"They were in Jackson Mississippi, clearing out an old school building looking for a suspect who'd been kidnapping elderly women from local care facilities. They'd identified him as Wilhelm Ecclestone, a former chemistry teacher. Reid and Prentiss had taken the science labs knowing Spencer would be more likely to find all the potential hiding spots and any environmental risks. Fortunately for her, Prentiss was across the room when Reid found the man in a supply closet and before he could stop him the elderly man flicked the stopper off a vial and shook the powder all over them both.  
"Biohazard! Get out of here" Spencer yelled, trying to avoid breathing in the powder as he backed out of the cupboard keeping his gun trained on the unsub.  
A moment later he collapsed with overwhelming pain throughout his body most intensely in his bones, and the unsub ran escaping further into the school building.

Aaron came towards him.

"Stay back. It was a powder, it's still all over my clothes and we don't know if it acts through the skin" Spencer gasped. "Catch the unsub."

"It isn't safe to go back in after him until we have hazmat suits" Emily pointed out.  
Spencer dragged himself out into the air and Morgan turned the fire hose on him the force of the water sending him sprawling across the ground, gritting his teeth not to cry out from the pain and humiliation.  
"The ambulance is on its way" JJ reported. "They're bringing the hazmat kit."  
Spencer groaned remembering the scrub down he'd received when he'd been exposed to anthrax. He didn't feel up to going through that again. He already ached all over.

-o0o-

Because he was lying on the ground curled up in pain and his wet clothes were stuck to his skin instead of becoming baggy nobody not even Spencer noticed that he was actually slowly getting smaller.  
Aaron sent the others to guard the other exits to the building hoping the unsub had collapsed inside seeing as he must also have been exposed to the powder. "Don't allow him to get close to you or to open any containers in your vicinity. Shoot to kill if you have to he's already attacked one of our own and we don't want to give him the opportunity to release this in the open.  
"It might already be too late" Morgan said looking at the multiple broken windows in the dilapidated old building. "This place would be impossible to seal up."  
"Did any of you see any chemical drums or containers during my search?" Hotch asked.  
"No there was nothing like that" JJ said.  
"Just what looked like general cleaning supplies, but any container could've been used to hide the chemicals" Morgan said.  
"The vial he attacked Reid with was only about the size of a nail polish bottle. They might not need to be gallon drums" Emily reminded them worriedly. There were lots of glass containers in the chemistry room." They all recalled how much devastation the tiny vial of anthrax could have caused, and how lucky they'd been to be able to prevent a widespread bioterrorist act. The day in Annapolis haunted them all for more than one reason.

"Maybe we should evacuate the surrounding area" JJ suggested.

"The powder is fairly heavy it won't have the dispersal area of anthrax" Spencer said, concentrating on the conversation in the effort to ignore the pain. "The stuff didn't even reach Emily and she was only ten feet away. He isn't likely to be able to use it in a bioterrorist attack from here, he'd need to introduce it into the air-conditioning somewhere."

The team breathed a sigh of relief both at the information and that Reid was well enough to contribute to their conversation.

The Hazmat team arrived and set up containment and decontamination tents and the others moved away to give Spencer a semblance of privacy as he bravely subjected himself to being stripped and having the top two layers of his skin scrubbed off. Aaron desperately wanted to stay with him as he was decontaminated then transported to the nearest hospital but the risk of the unsub escaping with a potential biological weapon was too great a risk to national security. He made sure that the ambulance crew were aware not to give Spencer narcotic based pain relief and turned back to his job. He knew Spencer would understand and even want him to stay on the job but it was still one of the most difficult things he'd done in years.

The pain began to subside while Spencer was in the ambulance and he was insisting that he was fine to return to the field if they'd issue him a hazmat suit by the time they arrived at the hospital.

"You can be more help here allowing us to work out what you were exposed to so we can work out a counter to it if he does attack" The leader of the hazmat team said bluntly. "I know you want to be out with your team catching this guy but we need a back up plan in case he escapes.

"Well at least it's definitely not anthrax this time. My lungs are fine" Spencer said.

"You've had anthrax!" the ambulance officer exclaimed.

"Um yeah that's a national secret. I can't talk about it. It isn't like me to blurt out classified information like that" Spencer said horrified with himself.

"It might be information we needed to know" the hazmat team leader pointed out.

"I was treated by Dr Kimura. She'll have all the details. And the rest of my medical history too" Spencer replied.

"Pity we don't have time to call her in instead of taking you to the local hospital."

-o0o-

Unfortunately the abandoned school had been the target of vandalism and there were too many ways to get out of the building for the team to man them all in time. The unsub was able to get to his car and though Morgan gave chase trying to shoot out the tyers as the others hurried to their own vehicle they lost him. They called the station to put out a BOLO with the warning that he'd attacked one of their agents with a powder, and had Garcia try to find him on traffic camera's. The area was old though and the camera's hadn't been replaced since hurricane Katrina so unless the unsub was stupid enough to head straight for the nearest highway or shopping district their chances of catching him that way were low. A second hazmat team secured the building and with nothing else that needed doing urgently the team hurried to the hospital to check on their youngest member.

-o0o-

"Family of Spencer Reid" the doctor called.  
"Yes", "That's us" the team said all standing up.  
"Who's his next of kin?" The doctor said taken aback.  
The team looked towards Hotch. "I hold his medical proxy" Hotch said stepping forwards.  
"Ate you his parent or guardian?" The doctor asked.  
"He's a twenty nine year old federal agent. He doesn't have or need a guardian" Hotch replied confused. "Why are you asking for a guardian?"  
"Then we have a mistaken identity. The boy in there couldn't be older than fourteen or fifteen." The doctor replied.  
"We're here for Supervisory Special Agent Dr Spencer Reid. He was brought in by ambulance following an attack by an unknown chemical an hour ago" Hotch said firmly. The team could see the strain of holding in his anger but to a stranger he would have appeared calm.

"That's him. The boy identified himself as Dr Spencer Reid of the FBI" the doctor admitted. "Perhaps you should come and talk to him yourself and get to the bottom of this. He appears in perfect health other than insisting he's so much older than he appears to be."  
"Lead the way" Hotch said. "Wait here while I get to the bottom of this. JJ call Garcia and get her to send the hospital copies of Reid's ID and medical proxies."

"Hotch what's happening?" Spencer said as he saw his boss and lover enter the room. He forced himself to keep their interaction professional in front of the doctor.  
"Spencer?" Aaron exclaimed in shock.  
"Did you catch the unsub?" Spencer asked.  
"What happened to you? Are you okay?" Aaron asked.  
"The unsub Hotch? Did you catch him?" Spencer repeated.  
"No he got away. Now answer my questions. Are you alright?" Aaron asked agitatedly.  
"Apart from feeling like I have hairline fractures in every bone in my body I'm fine. The doctor said he couldn't find anything wrong with me but he's treating me like an unstable mental patient" Spencer complained.  
"You look like a teenager" Aaron said stupidly.  
"What do you mean I look like a teenager? Come on Hotch you're not making sense" Spencer said frustrated.  
Aaron sighed unsure how to explain this. "Come with me" he said holding his arm out to help his lover out of bed. He led him into the bathroom and over to the mirror steadying him as he stumbled.  
Spencer looked disbelievingly at their reflections.  
Instead of the six foot one, twenty nine year old man he was used to seeing in the mirror there was a five foot nine teenager standing next to his worried looking lover.

"What on earth?" Spencer shakily reached out to tough his reflection. He recognised his younger self but had no idea how this could be real. The fact that the reflection moved smoothly as he did so and his hands encountered the cold surface of the mirror helped to convince him this couldn't be a prank.

"I look fifteen" he said blankly.

"Fifteen? Are you sure. I would have thought you would have been taller at fifteen" Hotch said.

"I'm sure" Spencer replied. "Eidetic memory means perfect recall of the way I looked at any given time in my life. I didn't exactly enjoy being fifteen the first time around" he added bitterly.

Aaron looked at Spencer fondly. "You're not alone this time Spencer. I'm here for you and the rest of the team will be as well. We'll get through it together."

Spencer turned and hugged the older man rising to his tip toes to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

Hotch froze.

"I know I know no public demonstrations of affection" Spencer said laughing misjudging his partner's reaction. "We're in the bathroom Aaron. Nobody's likely to come barging in here to catch us. They probably think you're helping me shower or something."

Hotch blushed from the memories of the two of them showering together in the past but felt deeply uncomfortable even nursing a slight erection in the presence of the teenaged Spencer and turned away hurriedly and left the room.

Spencer was confused for a moment until he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and realised what must have happened. "Fuck" he swore uncharacteristically sinking to the floor and burying his face in his hands. "What's going to happen to us?"

He sat there until the rest of the team came looking for him. Hotch had explained to them what had happened but none of them had really believed him until they saw the distressed teenager for themselves.

"What the Hell?" Morgan shouted.

"Spence?" JJ asked falling to her knees beside the boy. "Are you alright?"

"If being deaged fourteen years can be considered to be alright then I'm just peachy" Spencer replied snarkily.

JJ didn't take offence knowing that Spencer only resorted to that level of sarcasm when he was trying to hide how upset he was. "Oh Spence" she said pulling him into her arms, hesitating just a moment when her hands touched the bare flesh of his back reminding her that he was in a hospital gown.

"Can one of you go to the motel and get him some dry clothes?" she asked.

"Derek and I will go" Emily said dragging her colleague out of the bathroom. She knew Reid would be mortified breaking down in front of either of them but next to Hotch JJ had the best chance of comforting him.

"It's going to be okay Spence" JJ said rocking him gently as he began to cry.

"How can it be okay? This is going to ruin everything" Spencer sobbed.

"No it won't Spence. You'll see. We'll get through this together and it could wear off in a day or two and this will all seem like a funny dream."

"And what if it doesn't?" Spencer asked refusing to be comforted by false hope. "We don't know anything about what he did to me let alone how to come up with a counter-reactant."

"Then you've got something nearly everyone secretly wishes for at some stage of their lives. A chance to do things over, to be a kid again and make different decisions" JJ said trying to get her 'little brother' to see the positive side of the situation.

"I never wished for that" Spencer replied. "I wished I could go back in time and save Elle and Gideon from themselves" 'and Tobias' Spencer added silently. "But I never wanted to be younger than I was."

No JJ realised, Spence probably spent most of his life wishing he was older than he was. He'd suffered most of his life from bullying and harassment due to his age.

-o0o-

Finally Hazmat had cleared the building and they were able to go back in. "There are several bodies of young women in the basement" one of them reported looking sick. "They've been dead at least a couple of days."

"Young women?" Morgan asked surprised.

"You think he's been trialling the chemical he used on Reid? That these could be our missing geriatrics?" Emily asked.

"At this stage anything's possible. They were found here in the unsub's hideout but we may have to use DNA to know for sure" Hotch said. "It's unlikely that fourteen young women could have gone missing in this area as well without us hearing about it. We'll act as if they are the women we've been looking for until we find out differently. If it is them hopefully their bodies will be able to reveal what has happened to them."

"And how they died" Rossi said.

"You think that his experiment killed them? Reid could be in trouble" Morgan exclaimed.

"We don't know that yet and even if they were killed by the experiment, Reid's in the hospital being monitored for side effects. These women weren't. I'm sure he'll be fine" Rossi said looking anxiously at Hotch.

"I'll call the hospital and tell them to keep a close eye on any new side effects developing" Morgan said pulling out his phone.

"Standing here speculating isn't going to get us any answers" Hotch said leading the way into the building and down to the basement.

"Those hazmat guys were lucky they were wearing breathing apparatus" Emily complained. "Some of these women have been dead for weeks."

"Most of them have had their throats' slit" Morgan said relieved.

"There are a lot more women here that we were expecting. Contact Garcia and get her to look for more women who've gone missing in the last two months. Don't restrict the victim's ages we already know he can change the age someone appears to be" Hotch ordered.

Emily was grateful to have to go upstairs to get phone reception.

"Is my baby genius all right?" Penelope asked.

"We're at the school, we've found more than a dozen bodies so can you expand your search to all missing women anywhere near here?" Emily said. "The doctor's couldn't find anything wrong with Reid other than being a teenager. He's a bit upset as you'd expect him to be. JJ's with him at the hospital, she said she'd call if he took a turn for the worse."

"So missing women within 100 miles. Do you have anything to narrow the parameters?" Garcia said beginning her search.

"Well we know he can manipulate the age of his victims, and I came up to call you after we found the first room of bodies so no include them all" Emily said.

"I'll send you the information as we get it. Garcia out" Penelope said.

Emily reluctantly returned to the basement crime scene. "There are fourteen bodies, all dissected in some fashion" Rossi reported.

"Dissected like cut up for easier handling and potential burial or like autopsied" Emily asked.

"He's removed all the internal organs, it looks almost surgical.

He could be looking into the effects of the deaging reaction." Hotch said thoughtfully. "I'll speak to the examiner about it. If this thing has an effect other than making Reid look younger then we need to know."

The M.E. arrived and they explained the deaging incident and that they thought these bodies might have been earlier experiments. "We'll need DNA identification on all of them and a list of any previous health problems and abnormalities" Hotch ordered. "Until we catch the unsub these bodies are the best chance at finding out how our agent has been affected."

"You mean to say someone has actually come up with a fountain of youth that honestly works?" the M.E. asked astonished.

"We don't know if it's permanent yet, or what the side effects might be. If these women have been subjected to the same chemicals as our agent then any information you can give us about their health immediately prior to death could be vastly helpful" Hotch replied.

"We'll get back to you on that as soon as we can" the M.E. promised. "With an agent affected not to mention fourteen victims this just became our top priority."

"Thank you" Hotch said sincerely. "We'll try not to pester you too much for information while you work."

-o0o-

Morgan dropped off Spencer's go bag and he immediately took it into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later fully dressed with his pants legs rolled up so he didn't trip.  
"You look like a kid dressed up in his father's clothes. You're going to have to buy some smaller stuff" Morgan said amused, snapping a picture.  
"That could be a very bad idea if whatever did this suddenly wears off" Spencer replied. "Speaking of which I need to get some braces to hold my trousers up. I don't want to suddenly gain 40 pounds while wearing a belt tight enough to hold up these" he added gesturing to his pants with one hand making Morgan realise he was using his hands in his pockets to hold them up.  
"You think it will wear off?" Morgan asked.  
"More hope it will than expect it to" Spencer replied. "But if he had a product that could permanently and predictably deage a person ten years without killing them, it would be worth an absolute fortune. The beauty industry would have been swarming around making him all sorts of offers if there was even the slightest rumour of him developing something like this. He wouldn't be hanging around in an abandoned building attacking random FBI agents. And wouldn't he have used it himself before now if it was safe to use?"  
"You have a point" Morgan agreed. "But what if he was still trying to iron out the kinks?"  
"That's my worst nightmare. What if I never get older than this or if I keep getting younger?" Spencer asked.  
He pushed the bell to call a nurse.  
"Can I help you with something?" The nurse asked smiling at Morgan.  
"You can bring me the paperwork to sign out" Spencer said bluntly.

"You haven't been cleared by the doctor" the nurse objected.

"Hence why I need the sign myself out against advice paperwork" Spencer said dryly. "The only reason the doctor wants to keep me is because he's curious, he said I'm in perfect health. I promise I'll come back if anything else happens."

"Hotch isn't going to be happy you're signing yourself out" Morgan reminded his friend.

"Hotch will live with it. There's nothing wrong with me" Spencer retorted. "Besides we're sharing a room, he can keep an eye on me."

Morgan winced. "You're sharing with me for the rest of the case Reid."

"Whose decision was that?" Spencer asked hurt.

"The team's decision. It isn't appropriate for you to share with Hotch like that. We didn't want to cause unnecessary stress" Morgan replied sympathetically. "I'll take you back to the motel."

"You'll take me to the station so I can get back to work" Spencer demanded.

"You can't go back to work looking like that" Morgan protested.

"What's wrong with the way I look? I'm appropriately dressed" Spencer asked.

"You look like a kid dressed up in his father's clothes, no I take that back his grandfather's clothes" Morgan said teasing to lighten the situation.  
"Well I haven't actually been turned back into my fifteen year old self. I definitely have all my memories since I was fifteen and they are no less clear than before that age" Spencer replied. "I'm still capable of doing my job, and there's no reason to keep me here. The doctor said I'm in perfect health. I understand I won't be allowed in the field but I can still be useful."  
Morgan sighed and gave in, more because he wanted the kid where the team could keep an eye on him in case something else went wrong. Spencer was a victim and he didn't want the unsub kidnapping him to experiment on too.

A/N: I am Australian and write in Australian English which results in many words being spelled differently than American English. I am aware this can be annoying and apologise for your frustration.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

By the end of the day they'd exhausted all the possible leads without a hint of where Wilhelm Ecclestone had fled to. "Well at least we located his lab and interrupted his experiments. It will take him time and effort to find another place." JJ said positively.

"And how many women will he kidnap there before someone calls us in?" Emily asked.

"Too many" Hotch said sighing but at least with the profile we'll have some hope of catching him quickly when he resurfaces."  
"We need to find the Unsub. He could be our best hope of reversing this" Spencer said desperately.

"Or at least finding out if it has run its course or there'll be any future side effects" Morgan added. They'd decided not to mention the bodies to him until they had the autopsy results.

"We've go scientists going through the school looking for any unknown chemicals but it looks like he took the vial of whatever he released on Agent Reid with him" the Hazmat leader reported.

"There's been no trace of the unsub anywhere"

"We don't even know what he looks like anymore. He must have breathed in at least as much of the chemical as I did so it's possible he's walking around as a fifteen year old too or if it deages people a certain number of years according to dose he could be anything from ten years younger than he was to any age. It's impossible to predict. We could walk right past him and not know" Spencer said.

"Can we get Garcia to run the aging software in reverse?" Emily asked referring to the program they used to update identities of long term missing children and ancient cold cases.

Morgan pulled out his phone.

"Penelope Garcia the goddess of all knowing" Penelope answered.

"Hey Baby Girl. We're sending you a photo of the unsub, but we think he may have been affected with the chemical he attacked Reid with. Can you run the aging software in reverse to get an idea of what he might look like?"

"Of course my delicious hunk of chocolate goodness" Penelope purred.

"You're on speaker Baby Girl" Morgan said amused.

"Is my junior G man there?" Penelope asked curiously. "Send me a photo of him I'm sure he looks totally adorable."

"I'm here Garcia" Spencer replied. "I'm still the same person."

"Oh don't you sound cute" Penelope gushed making Spencer frown and the rest of the team try to stifle their laughter.

"It's going to take a little bit of tweaking to get the program to run in reverse. How much younger do you want me to make this guy?" Garcia asked.

"We don't really know how the chemicals will have effected him so maybe a picture for each decade younger. I doubt he'd deliberately make himself into a child unless he had an accomplice to look after him" Spencer replied.

"On it Sweet-cheeks" Penelope chirped disconnecting the call.

"Well I can categorically state this man was never attractive" Penelope said half an hour later. "Sending the pictures to your tablets now."

"Thanks Baby Girl" Morgan said laughing. He ended the call and snapped a picture of Reid, sending it through to Garcia.

"Hey" Spencer protested.

"We need to check how well the aging program works in reverse" Morgan said unrepentantly calling Garcia.

"Oh my baby Genius you look so cute. I can't wait for you to get home" Penelope gushed.

"He's not a dress up doll" Hotch reminded her. "Can you run the reverse aging on a recent picture of Reid and check how accurate the results are. Reid said that his body is currently the same as when he was fifteen."

"Fifteen and seven months actually" Spencer added.

"Okay Buttercream let's see what the program predicted" Garcia said a few moments later. "There's minor differences but it's definitely still recognisable as your cute younger self" Garcia said sending them the two pictures.

"I looked even more like a geek than I do now. There's nothing cute about it" Spencer protested rubbing his forehead.

"Are you getting a migraine?" Hotch asked concerned.

"No these glasses aren't the right prescription anymore. They're too strong. I'll have to schedule an appointment with the optometrist when we get back home" Spencer explained.

"There must be an optometrist in town. I'll have JJ take you" Hotch replied.

"That's not necessary" Spencer objected.

"Spencer I won't let you work if it's going to give you a headache and you can't drive yourself to the optometrist if you can't see properly" Hotch argued calmly.

"There's no time for this. If we catch him and he can tell us where the antidote is then I won't need new glasses" Spencer argued.

"There's no guarantee there even is an antidote. The man hasn't been employed by a reputable research facility Spencer" Emily said gently.

"Come on Spencer, there's no point in deliberately giving yourself a headache. The pain in your head might make you miss something" JJ said encouragingly.

Luckily the M.E. called before Spencer and JJ arrived back. "I have the results of the first autopsy, all the indications are that the organs were perfectly healthy prior to being removed."

"Well that's a good sign, and the cause of death?" Hotch asked anxiously.

"The removal of the organs was the cause of death" the M.E. said bluntly.

"She was alive?" Hotch asked for clarification.

"And awake and suffering" the M.E. confirmed. "There is no sign of anaesthetic or painkillers in her system. With the care he took, if he took the heart and lungs out last it could have taken hours for the poor girl to die. He cauterised the arteries as he worked. There are ligature marks around her upper arms and legs, she was strapped down fairly thoroughly. I'm about to start the second, I'll call you if anything is different about her."

"Do you think it was done by someone with surgical training?" Hotch asked.

"It is possible but I doubt it. A surgeon would have tied off the bleeders not burnt them, but it was definitely someone with anatomical knowledge and some skill with a knife. This isn't his first attempt but then we already knew that. My technician has collected DNA samples on all of them and sent them to our lab."

"How long should that take? Our lab may be quicker" Hotch replied.

"She put a rush on it but probably a couple of days" the M.E. replied.

"Thank you doctor" Hotch said disconnecting. "I'll have the samples rushed to our lab." He turned to find the team watching him anxiously.

"He's completed the first autopsy. The deaging didn't kill them and the newest victim's organs were all in perfect health" he reported.

Morgan let out a sigh of relief. "That's good then, we can tell pretty boy?"

"How did she die?" Rossi asked.

"She was vivisected" Hotch said bluntly. "The M.E. said the skill level suggests anatomical knowledge and skill with a knife but not necessarily surgical expertise."

"A biologist would have that knowledge" Emily said.

"So we're still looking for only one unsub?" Morgan asked.

"Most likely" Hotch confirmed. "There was no indication of two people, it was done without anaesthetic."

Emily shuddered. "That poor woman."

-o0o-

Spencer returned without glasses.  
"You got contacts?" Morgan exclaimed.  
"Yeah I can buy one month supply at a time so it will be less money wasted if I turn back" he explained.  
"You'll need glasses as well" Hotch said frowning.  
"I know, I'll get them made up at home if I still need to" Spencer replied.  
Hotch nodded and shut the door closing the team off from the rest of the station.  
"Come and sit down a minute" he said to Spencer.  
"I need to get back to work on the geographic profile. We need to find the missing women, if the unsub's on the run he probably left them without food or water. There must be something I missed" Spencer protested.

"Spencer we think we've found them. There were fourteen women's bodies in the basement of the school" Hotch said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Spencer asked. "I'm not sick. I can still do my job."

"Spence we just wanted to know how they died before we told you" JJ said gently wrapping her arms around him.

"How did they die? Was it the experimental deaging?" Spencer asked fearfully.

"They were in a variety of stages of decomposition and none of them were elderly so we're still not entirely sure they're the missing women though I think we would have heard if fourteen other women had gone missing in the area. The M.E. finished the autopsy on the most recent body, she died from having her organs removed. If she was deaged then we know the deaging didn't kill her, in fact the coroner thinks she was in perfect health when she died.

Spencer swallowed hard. "The last woman to go missing was in her nineties with a chronic heart condition and Alzheimer's" he said.

Hotch pulled out the photo he'd taken of the victim's body. She looked to be in her early twenties.

"I think it really could be Victoria Rockwell. It looks a lot like the girl in the wedding photo that was in her room" Spencer said.

"I hadn't thought of that. We could get old photos of all the missing women" Hotch said pulling out his phone to call Garcia. "There's four or five day's delay on the DNA and we need to know whether we're on the right track before then.

"It wouldn't be definitive, photography back then was often overly staged not to mention the degradation of time on the images" Spencer replied.

"No but it might give us some idea if it is possible" Emily said.

"Not to mention that most people didn't own a camera so photographs were only taken on special occasions sometimes only a few in a persons lifetime. So we'd have to get lucky to have a photo the right age. Personal cameras didn't become popular in America until 1913 but many of the working class didn't own one until much later" the team smiled to each other as they let Spencer ramble on happily distracting himself from the situation.  
Emily rang around the care facilities the victims had gone missing from and several still had their resident's effects though others had been picked up by family members. They agreed to let the FBI come and look through the boxes apologising for not having the staff available to do it themselves.  
JJ contacted the families of the most recent victims explaining that they believed the kidnapper had been experimenting with deaging women and asking for old photographs.  
"You've found bodies" one son realised sadly.  
"I'm afraid so Mr Jones" JJ confirmed. "But there's no way to tell yet if one of them is your mother. DNA results will take another 4-5 days."  
"This deaging idea seems insane" Matthew Jones commented.  
"Yes we wouldn't believe it ourselves except on of our agents was deaged after breathing in a chemical powder in the building we found the bodies."  
"You're serious!" Matthew exclaimed.  
"Yes we're trying to keep it quiet for now. The sensationalism of it would cause a media circus which could make solving the case more difficult.  
For what it's worth once the information is released I could pass your name and contact details along to some of the more reputable journalists we deal with if you like. One of them may pay you for an interview."  
"You're trying to bribe me into silence" Matthew realised.  
"I'm not trying to bribe you at all but in my experience with victims and their families they're often better off if they have the opportunity to sign an exclusive contract with one journalist and can get their use it to stop the harassment by all the others. On the other hand their might be those in the government that would pay quite a large amount in compensation for you to agree if they decide it needs to be kept secret. That means that at the moment I suggest you don't say anything at all to anyone."

-o0o-

"Were there any papers or journals in the basement?' Spencer asked.

"No we searched" Morgan replied.

"They must be somewhere, a scientist always keeps a record of their experiments" Spencer insisted.

"Even something as secret as this?" JJ asked dubiously.

"Yeah unless he has an eidetic memory he will need to be able to look over past results and compare them. Even then I always kept records of each stage. It might be hidden or even encrypted somehow but there will be a record somewhere. It could be an old exercise book or a lap top or even just a thumb drive but I guarantee he recorded each step of his experiments" Spencer said. "He probably has a back up somewhere as well."  
"There was no sign of a computer at the school. He had a printer, router and cables for a laptop at his home but we didn't find one. We haven't found his car yet either" Morgan said.  
"If he has the laptop on him he'd probably have the research backed up somewhere else as well" Spencer said.  
"We were looking for indications where he might have kept the victims. We might have missed a thumb drive. Maybe we should ask the locals to conduct another search of his house. But he might have it on him as well if he's on the run."  
"I'll look for a cloud account and double check he hasn't backed anything up on line" Garcia said.  
"I don't think he would have trusted this on line. That's why I thought he might have a handwritten log book of his experiments" Spencer said thoughtfully.  
"Some computer shops set up systems to back up via cloud automatically if you use them in the presence of a wifi connection and he had one in his home" Penelope explained. "If he's not particularly computer savvy he may not have realised."  
"Can you check if there's wifi access at the school?" Spencer asked.  
"It would have been shut down when the education department stopped paying the bill" Emily said.  
"It was a public school. We're talking about government efficiency. If the bill was set up to be paid automatically then maybe it hasn't been cancelled" Hotch said cynically.  
"Or the unsub might have set up a new Internet access if he was spending most of his time there" Emily said.  
"We found signs of habitation but we assumed that's where he was keeping the victims" Morgan said. "You're right we need to look more closely."

The search teams didn't find anything and the coroner's office faxed through the official autopsy report.  
"The victim was raped. We have DNA on the unsub. They're going to run it through codis. Maybe we'll find a familial match who knows where he might have gone" Spence reported reading through the details. The M.E. estimates the age of the victim as between eighteen and twenty."  
"If you're right about it being Victoria Rockwell then he deaged her seventy years" JJ said horrified. "It's lucky you didn't breathe in more than you did."  
Spencer shuddered at the idea of being even younger than he was, then realised he could have been deaged out of existence. "We'll I'm glad you don't have to change my diapers" he said shakily trying to make light of it.  
Morgan laughed. "You never would have lived that down" he said.  
Spencer blushed. "I would have ended up in foster care. My Mom wouldn't have been able to look after me" he said wrapping his arms around his stomach.  
"No you would've come home with me and been Henry's little brother instead of mine" JJ said hugging him. "That's if you didn't want to stay with Hotch and Jack."  
Spencer shuddered, he couldn't imagine anything worse than having Hotch look after him as a baby or toddler, not to mention going from being Jack's third parent to his baby brother would have confused the boy hugely. "I never thought I could feel grateful for becoming a teenager again" he said shakily.  
"It's going to be okay Spencer" Hotch said also aware of how close he'd come to losing the man he loved. He knew it hadn't quite sunk in with Spencer how much of an impact this was going to have on their relationship but at least the boy was still alive and well. Anything else could be dealt with after they solved the case.  
"Of course I am" Spencer agreed. "I'm not really a teenager, I'm still me. Let's get back to work and catch this guy."

-o0o-

The old photo idea panned out with the last two victims. They were able to definitely identify them from the photos of their youth confirming that the unsub was deaging his victims and enabling them to tell that he'd kept his victims alive one and three weeks after kidnapping them respectively, though they were unable to tell at what point in their captivity they'd been deaged. DNA results confirmed this several days later.  
They put a nationwide alert on missing elderly people, particularly care home and residents in the hope they'd be informed if the unsub started up his experiments elsewhere.  
Garcia had come through for them in identifying potential named for the other victims, elderly people who hadn't lived in care homes and whose absence hadn't been reported as suspicious.  
"It's sad how lonely these women must have been. Nobody could even clearly state when they last saw this lady, she wasn't reported missing for nine weeks after she last used her bank accounts" Garcia said. "She didn't have anybody."  
"It makes me feel that I want to ring my grandparents" JJ said.

"Yeah me too" Garcia agreed.

"We can all make more effort to contact our families on the way home" Hotch said not unfeelingly but needing to keep his team on track.

-o0o-

The DNA ended up proving that bodies of the young women found were those of the missing geriatric care home residents that had been deaged and the autopsies proved that they'd all been experimented on prior to their death, and either killed by the experiments or had their throats slit. The team was all relieved that none of them had been killed as a result of the deaging process but neither had any of them lived long enough to either develop or rule out the possibility of long term side effects. Unfortunately the trail on the unsub had gone cold. They'd found his car burnt out in an adjoining county and it revealed no further clues. Eventually they had to concede defeat and return to Quantico and other cases.

-o0o-

They sat in the jet silently all pretending to be involved in their own interests but all worried about their youngest member who was pretending to read. He was giving a good impression but they'd all watched Reid reading in the past and something seemed wrong about today. He also had headphones in and the music turned up loud enough for anyone sitting nearby to hear the faint strains of Chopin. Aaron who knew Spencer better than any one else on the planet knew that Reid only listened to Chopin when he was trying to seriously distract himself from distressing thoughts.

Morgan who'd shared a room with the newly made teenager for the last several days was seriously worried about his mental state. He'd been relieved to see there was no sign of the normal moodiness and teenage hormones he'd expected, Reid was his usual polite and rambling self most of the time, and his attention to the case had him acting normally while in the precinct. One back at the hotel however he was starting to show the signs of a major depression as Hotch continued to keep a professional distance between them.

The whole team had approached Reid privately and offered him a place to stay if he needed one. Spencer had politely turned them all down telling them that he and Aaron needed some time on their own away from work to begin sorting out their relationship and the impact the changes would have on them both. The team had understood and each of them urged him to call them if he needed anything.

"Do you think they're going to be okay?" JJ asked as the two men, or man and teen, climbed into Hotch's car and drove away.

"I honestly don't know, but I don't think we helped the situation by changing the room assignments" Morgan replied.

"It wouldn't have been appropriate not to" Rossi said.

"It was your idea in the first place" Emily reminded him.

"I know, when I was at the hospital the first time, all I could see was a distressed kid but once Reid came back to work I could see he really was still his twenty nine year old self inside and it really hurt him, if Hotch ends the relationship Pretty Boy's going to be heartbroken, I'm worried about him.

"I think we were right to change the room assignments they needed to focus on the case" Emily said.

"A lot of good that did we still didn't find the cretin that did that to Spence" JJ complained.

"I think changing the room assignments reinforced the idea that we wouldn't accept them if they decided to ignore the fact Reid's body has been deaged and stay together" Emily said.

"You think we could?" Rossi asked.  
"Spencer's an adult" JJ said. "He's the closest thing I have to a brother and I want what's best for him and I honestly think that is being with Aaron who genuinely loves him. You know I wouldn't let him be taken advantage of."  
"I think Reid's more likely to take advantage of Hotch" Emily added chuckling.

"I don't think I could accept it" Morgan said. Rossi nodded his agreement.

"I understand Morgan having trouble with it with his history but it isn't the same thing at all. Reid only looks like a teenager." JJ said gently, while frowning at Rossi.

"I don't think we need to discuss it. Hotch will choose to do the right thing" Rossi tried to defuse the argument.

"The right thing for whom?" JJ retorted before walking off.

A/N: Thank you to TinyHandz, Guest, noobz40, MissLuciusNightwings, poisonberryhill, kizzy45, eutopia23, Luzydeath, justcreating, gchicklet, StrawberryT, SlySn4ke, Rain Kitsune and Noskilz for your support.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

Hotch and Spencer were both grateful that Jack was away visiting Haley's parents with Jessica for the next fortnight thought they both missed him they would not want him exposed to the tension in the house. Hotch refused to share a bed with the teenager and Spencer reluctantly stayed in the spare room though he refused to move his clothing and things until it had been confirmed he wasn't reaging. With the speed the teenager was growing it was hard to tell if it was normal growth or he was getting older. Hotch was hopeful he'd soon have his adult lover back but Spencer who remembered the growth spurt he'd had at this age was less so.

The whole team had been confined to Quantico to catch up on their paper work until the higher ups had decided what they were going to do about Reid. Hotch was trying to avoid the intimacy of cooking together and cozy evenings at home on the couch. At first he'd tried taking Spencer out to eat which the younger man had been quite happy with as they still spent time talking to each other at the table even if the conversation topics were constrained by being in public. Unfortunately, after a waitress asked him what his son wanted to eat they hadn't been out together again. Instead Hotch was working increasingly long hours each night to minimize the time spent at home together. And Spencer was now completing all of his own, Morgan's and Prentiss' consults each day in attempt to distract himself from the lack of personal interaction with his lover. His friends watched worriedly as he worked almost feverishly through anything that came his way, determinedly pretending that nothing was wrong. He and Hotch both refused to talk about their relationship but the pain in each of their eyes when they looked at each other clearly showed the team what the problem was.

-o0o-

Doctor Kimura was overseas helping to deal with the Ebola crisis, so Spencer had reluctantly agreed to be assessed by the Doctor paid by the FBI. He waited anxiously for the verdict as she completed her exam. "Well the good news is that you're in perfect health. You're underweight but that seems normal for you and you seem slightly sleep deprived as well which is also normal according to your medical records but I guess that goes with your job. The only abnormality I can find is that you're sinuses are slightly more inflamed that I would have expected for this time of year given your allergy history" He said.

"And the bad news" Spencer said blushing mildly at the sinuses remark knowing that it was probably a result of the amount of time he'd spent crying over the last week.

"None of the indicators of age have changed at all in the last week. They match perfectly to the results in your history. There's every indication you're a perfectly healthy fifteen years and seven months and one week old boy" the FBI Doctor said bluntly.

"So I'm stuck like this?" Spencer said sighing.

"I'm sorry Agent Reid but we still cannot know exactly. There is no mention in any literature I can find that this situation has ever occurred before but yes my best guess is you're stuck as a fifteen year old. We'll have to continue testing over the next 4 to 6 months to find out if you will reage normally from this point onwards."

"You mean you think there's a possibility I could be permanently fifteen years old?" Spencer exclaimed in fear.

"There's no reason to believe that, it's more likely that you growing up again from this point but like I said we just don't know enough about what happened to you. You said the traces of the chemical and the notes were totally destroyed. Is it possible there was a back up of the information somewhere?"

"No the team searched thoroughly through all his known properties and our tech analyst is brilliant. If there was anything to find online she would have found it" Spencer said running his hands through his hair.

"Then I'm sorry but I don't have any answers for you. You'll just have to wait and see" The doctor said indicating that the consultation was over.

Spencer drove home unable to face returning to the BAU and facing his team. He needed time to come to terms with this. For all he'd been telling himself that he didn't think the chemical was wearing off he now realised he had been clinging to the hope that somehow this would all be over soon. He paced around the house agitatedly then came to the realisation that he couldn't continue to live with Hotch like this. He'd been as understanding as he could be of Aaron's unwillingness to be sexually involved with a teenager, but the whole situation was tearing him apart. If he wasn't going to go back to normal then he and Aaron had to find a way to make their relationship work.

-o0o-

Spencer was sitting in the dark when Aaron arrived home that night. He was early for a change anxious to hear what the doctor had said though he suspected it hadn't been good news when Spencer didn't return to work.

"Spencer are you here? Where are you?" Aaron called.

"In the lounge: Spencer said quietly.

Aaron walked across and saw his lover sitting in the dark. There was a book lying on his knee but it had been too dark to read for quite a while. "Bad news?" he asked worriedly, sitting on the arm of the chair and wrapping an arm around Spencer's shoulders.

"I'm perfectly healthy there're no new side effects. But I'm no more than one week older than I was a week ago" Spencer said shakily.

Hotch buried his face in his hands despairingly. "I'm sorry Spencer. Had hoped…"

Spencer watched Aaron collapse onto the nearest chair becoming even more upset himself at his lover's visible signs of grief. He hesitantly extended a hand towards Aaron hoping the older man would take him into his arms and promise that it would be okay, that he still loved him.

Hotch accepted the hand on his shoulder and turned towards Spencer. "How are you doing with this?" he asked.

"I don't know" Spencer admits. "I don't even know where to begin thinking about it or what to do now?"

"You'll figure it out" Aaron replied.

Spencer nods noncommittally. He knew he'd be okay so long as he still had Aaron. He could handle being treated like a kid by everyone else, maybe even having to be relegated to staying at headquarters and help via phone while the others left on cases. So long as Aaron still saw him as himself it didn't matter how the rest of the world saw him. But it did matter he realised sadly, even if Aaron still loved him the world wouldn't accept a forty five year old man being in a sexual relationship with a fifteen year old. Even if Aaron still wanted him then their relationship would change.

Hotch pulled Spencer into his arms as the deaged man began to sob. Spencer climbed into Aaron's lap and cried uncontrollably even though a little voice in the back of his head told him that this was a very bad idea of he wanted Aaron to see him as an adult.

Aaron did his best to comfort his young love rubbing his back gently. Eventually Spencer cried himself to sleep and Aaron just sat there holding him tightly enjoying the closeness. It was tearing his heart in two to deny his feelings for the young doctor, especially when he could see the hurt mirrored in his lover's face. He prayed that Spencer would come to accept the platonic relationship which for the time being was all he could offer him.

-o0o-

"Please Spencer we can't sleep in the same bed it's not appropriate. Be reasonable" Aaron said making no move to get into bed later that night.  
"I'm still me" Spencer said firmly. "I'm still the man you said you loved and wanted to spend the rest of your life with."  
"Spencer you're a child. I feel like a pervert just being in the bedroom with you without being fully dressed" Aaron argued.  
"I'm not a child" Spencer said indignantly. I'm twenty nine years old and we both know I'm no innocent virgin. I'm prepared to promise not to seduce you in your sleep. I'll agree to wait til I'm eighteen again for penetrative sex but I love you. And we both need some physical affection. Let me stay, just to sleep tonight and we can work this out somehow" he begged.

"I can't Spencer" Aaron groaned, begging himself. "Please understand."

Spencer waited hoping Aaron would give in but after several minutes of silence he admitted defeat. Without looking at Aaron he climbed out of bed and grabbed his clothes leaving the room. Aaron heard him dressing in the hallway and moving down the stairs. A moment later the sound of the television and the theme music for Dr Who started playing. Aaron climbed into bed hugging Spencer's pillow and silently cried himself to sleep aware that the man he loved was probably downstairs doing exactly the same thing.

-o0o-

Hotch came down early next morning to find Spencer still watching Dr Who. From the deep shadows under his eyes it seemed he'd been awake all night.

"Why didn't you sleep in the spare room?"

"It feels too much like being punished. Exiled. Relegated to being a guest in my own home. I've cried myself to sleep in there every night praying that this would somehow wear off and things would go back to normal. I can't do it anymore" Spencer tried to explain.

"The traditional punishment between couples is to relegate the offending husband to the couch" Hotch replied trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Spencer's mouth smiled but it was a sad bitter thing, and Aaron's stomach twisted on itself.  
"Are we still a couple?" Spencer asked quietly.

Aaron had no answer for him. The words 'I love you' stuck in his throat. They were true in every sense of the meaning but saying that to Spencer now would only hurt them both. His stomach growled reminding him that neither of them had eaten dinner the night before and he turned towards the kitchen to make Spencer's favourite breakfast.

-o0o-

Spencer disappeared after breakfast having eaten very little. Aaron had refused to allow him more coffee suspecting he'd had several cups throughout the night. Spencer was upset by the fact that Aaron even considered rationing his coffee intake instead of just expressing mild disapproval as he would have a month ago, but it helped him to follow through on the decision he'd made the night before.

Aaron left him alone for a while to shower and dress before he went looking for him. He found him in the bedroom.  
"What are you doing?" He asked in shock watching Spencer cramming clothes into his go bags.  
"Moving back to my apartment" Spencer said refusing to look at his lover.  
"Why? You can't live alone" Aaron objected.

"I'm twenty nine. I've lived alone most of the past seventeen years." Spencer said flatly. "I'm used to being alone."

"Please stay here. This is your home! I love you! Jack loves you" Aaron begged.

"I can't stay. I can't live with you and not be together" Spencer said flatly.

"Spencer you look fifteen. Someone's going to call child services if they realise you're living alone" Aaron said.

"I was an emancipated minor at this age. I'll get Garcia to get me the paperwork again" Spencer said.  
"Spencer please…" Aaron hurriedly bit his tongue to stop himself from asking his boyfriend to be reasonable, knowing that Spencer would take it as something he would not have said before he had been deaged. Aaron had to admit that Spencer may have been right. It was difficult not to partially attribute the teenager's actions with the age and hormonal state of his body.

"You see me as a kid but my feelings for you haven't changed. "I understand that you're uncomfortable being sexual with me while I look like this. Hell I'm embarrassed even being in the shower with myself" Spencer said mortified.

Aaron laughed joylessly. "I'm sure you'll get over that" he said. "Spencer I care about you. I need to know that you're all right."

"I'm an adult Aaron. I'll be fine. I lived on my own for a long time. I'm used to depending on myself Aaron I've been doing it since I was ten" Spencer replied trying to reassure his lover. "If I spend the next three years here with you, you'll start thinking of yourself as my guardian then there'll be no hope of us ever being together as equals again. I can't live without that hope Aaron, please don't ask me to" Spencer begged. The grief in his eyes as he looked at Aaron hit him like a physical blow and he backed off like Spencer asked him to.

-o0o-

Spencer finished his packing and looked for Aaron, finding him sitting in the lounge with his head in his hands.

"Bye" Spencer said awkwardly, sure it wasn't enough to end a long term relationship with but unsure what else to do or say.

"Spencer" Aaron looked up, tears running down his face.

Spencer walked over and hugged Aaron and they cried together.

"I wish you didn't have to leave" Aaron said quietly.

Spencer grasped Aaron's chin gently and forced him to look him in the eyes as he very slowly moved forwards and chastely kissed him.

Aaron allowed the kiss, only drawing back when Spencer ran his tongue along the crease between his lips asking for entrance.

Spencer's face fell as tears filled his eyes again. "I can't… I have to go…" he sobbed brokenly staggering to his feet and blindly leaving the room.

He collapsed into the front seat of his car and took time to calm down enough to drive off stopping in the nearest car park as he broke down again.

He thought about calling one of his friends to come and get him but his misery was so intense he didn't think he could bear their pity.

It was growing dark by the time he pulled himself together enough to think about where to go. He didn't think he could handle being around the other profilers and he realised that a fifteen year old boy couldn't rent a room somewhere. Someone would call child services or the police if he appeared to be on his own. Luckily there was a cot in the corner of one of the labs he had access to at Georgetown so he headed there, ignoring the growling of his empty stomach. He didn't think he could eat without vomiting it all back up.

-o0o-

Aaron called multiple times over the next two days but Spencer didn't answer his phone or respond to his texts knowing that if they had a case JJ would contact him.  
Spencer also avoided talking to the other members of the team who tried to contact him after Aaron had rung them hoping Spencer had gone to one of them. Aaron cursed himself for not remembering that Spencer's old apartment had been sub-let before he'd let the young man leave. Aaron worried where he was staying. He didn't think any reputable hotel would rent him a room and Spencer didn't talk about any close friends other than the team so he had no idea where his lover had gone. He attempted to have Garcia trace his phone but once he'd explained why Spencer had left she wasn't willing to help.

-o0o-

Aaron arrived at the BAU bullpen at the crack of dawn on Monday determined to speak with Spencer. The emptiness he'd felt since Spencer left on Saturday had convinced him that in spite of his conscience telling him that Spencer was now a child he still loved the man too much to let him slip out of his life. He prowled along the gangway becoming increasingly agitated as the time of Spencer's usual arrival approached and passed not knowing that Spencer had gone straight into an early morning meeting with Strauss.

-o0o-

"You know none of us would think anything less of you if you were to maintain your relationship with Reid. We all know he still has the maturity of a twenty-nine year old, hell the kid acts forty half the time" Rossi said invading Hotch's office.

Rossi had thought long and hard on this over the past week able to see how much the strain of trying to do the 'right' thing was destroying the two men he counted as his close friends and had come to the conclusion that JJ and Emily had been able to make so much more easily. The relationship between Aaron and Spencer had started as a love affair between two consenting adults and in spite of a change in Reid's age he still had adult emotions and feelings and should have the right to express them freely.

"He's still fifteen" Hotch protested weakly.

"He still looks fifteen, and he has the body of a fifteen year old which might be a bit of a turn off seeing you've never been attracted to teenagers" Rossi corrected.

"No that's not the problem" Hotch replied frowning in self loathing.

"Reid's always been more attractive than people realise with his geeky professor look going on and he's always looked younger than he is" Rossi said mildly. "Not to mention that he's still the man you love inside which is more important than how you see the packaging.

"I can't Rossi. He still looks fifteen. Apart from the fact that it feels wrong I'd be arrested if anyone outside the team realised we were together. I could lose Jack if child services found out. The need to keep out relationship a total secret would make it seem like something dirty. And I have to think about Jack I don't want him growing up believing a relationship between an adult and a teenager is okay. And I can't expect him to keep a secret like that either. He wouldn't mean to let something slip but he's just a kid and he'd never understand how important it is."  
"That doesn't stop you and Reid from spending time together while Jack's at sleepovers or while travelling. The Kid's got to share with someone" Rossi reminded him.  
"That's an argument against letting him come on cases at all" Hotch replied.  
"Aw Hell! The Kid's going to lose his job too isn't he?" Rossi said groaning.

-o0o-

"I got the report from your medical exam and I'm sorry Agent Reid but I'm afraid we cannot have a fifteen year old working in the field" Erin Strauss said sympathetically.  
"I'm twenty nine" Spencer protested.  
"Not according to your medical records" Erin replied.  
"I was born twenty nine years ago and have twenty nine years of knowledge and life experience" Spencer stated firmly.  
"And your body is fifteen" Erin said. "You lack the strength and muscle memory you had as an adult and it would be impossible to establish a working relationship with local law enforcement looking as you do. I'm sorry Agent Reid but my decision is final."  
"So you're firing me for being the victim of an unsub" Spencer said disbelievingly. "Two weeks ago my team all reassured me that this crazy situation would be dealt with. That nothing would change and now I've lost my lover, my home and my job!" Spencer buried his face in his hands and bit his lip to hold back the words he wanted to say. Ranting about how unfair this was would only justify Strauss' belief that he wasn't emotionally old enough to do his job.  
"Why can't you stay in your apartment? Where are you staying?" Erin asked concerned.  
"Nowhere" Spencer replied not wanting to admit he'd slept on the floor of his office at Georgetown. "I was hoping one of the team would put me up while we're in town but I guess that isn't an option."  
"I'm sure one of them would be happy to let you stay" Erin said encouragingly.  
"And have to watch them leave for cases, and suddenly stop talking when the kid enters the room? No it would be better to make a clean break" Spencer decided.  
"And why can't you stay in your apartment?" Erin asked.  
"I don't have one. I gave it up when I moved in with my partner and now he can't look at me without feeling like a paedophile. He offered me the spare room but I can't stay there when his feelings have changed and mine haven't. Not to mention trying to explain the whole mess to his child. I still don't know what I'm going to do about that situation. I never thought I'd walk away from a child the way my father did to me but he's too young to understand that I'm the same person I was seventeen days ago" Spencer tried to explain the situation to Strauss without using names. He wasn't sure if the section chief knew about his relationship with Aaron.  
"Try to look at this as a positive, you have your whole life ahead of you again" Erin said.  
"I've already been a fifteen year old college student. It wasn't much fun the first time so I can't say I'm looking forward to trying it again. The BAU is the only thing I've ever wanted to do for more than a year or two" Spencer said pessimistically. As far as he was concerned the only positive thing about the situation was that his now fifteen year old body had never been physically addicted to Dilaudid. Even with all the upheaval in his life he wasn't suffering cravings. "But I guess I'll go back to college. There isn't much else I can do."  
"As far as the bureau goes you're on administrative leave on seventy five percent of your salary until you turn twenty one and are eligible to return to duty. You'll have to go through the academy again but as far as I'm concerned your position in the BAU will be yours again if you want it, or almost any other department would want you for that matter."  
"Thank you" Spencer said gratefully. That meant that at least his mother would be looked after for the next six years without draining his savings and he could choose what he wanted to do without considering the money too carefully.

"I've organised for undercover support to provide you with the regular identification for a fifteen year old emancipated minor" Strauss said.

"I'll also need to have Garcia fake a high school transcript and graduation" Spencer planned.

"You're fifteen, and I know you've been burdened by adult responsibilities since you were a child. Maybe you should take advantage of that and spend some time just being a kid."  
"I'll kill and dismember anyone who forces me to go back to high school" Spencer said fiercely. "I know I'm not normal but I found college kids are a lot more tolerant than high school kids."  
Strauss looked sympathetic. "Will you go back to Caltech?" She asked.  
"No I'm halfway through a degree at Georgetown as well as being a regular guest lecturer there and using their labs. I'll stay here" Spencer said.  
"Will you move on campus?" Strauss asked.  
Spencer shuddered. "Not unless I can't get a flat elsewhere" he said.  
"That might be difficult" Strauss said doubtfully.  
"Morgan's nearly finished flipping a house near Georgetown. I'm sure he'd sell or rent it to me if I can't find anywhere else" Spencer replied.  
"I'm sure he would but if you could afford a house on 75% salary then we're paying you too much" Strauss replied jokingly.  
"My FBI salary is less than half my normal income" Spencer replied. "I have a couple of patents that earn me money and consult for the NSA in my spare time. I also rarely leave Vegas with less than a couple of thousand in winnings when I go home to visit my mother, not that that will be possible for another three years either."

"May I ask why you need to earn so much money?" Strauss asked concerned about what else the young man might be into.

"Bennington Sanitarium is one of the best long term mental health care facilities in the country. It's not cheap" Spencer explained. "75% of my FBI salary will only just cover it. I will still need to earn enough to support myself."

Strauss looked surprised, indeed she had no idea how difficult life had been for the young man. Still they were never friends and she had no illusions that Reid would be willing to let her pry further into his concerns. "We'll it looks like you have it all planned out. I wish you all the best" she said standing up.  
"Thank you Chief Strauss" Spencer said formally.  
Erin watched him go, worried about the young man for a moment then dismissed him from her mind and sent team leader Hotch notification that he needed to fill the vacancy in his team.

-o0o-

Eventually Spencer walked into the bullpen with a box and ignoring every one began efficiently packing up the few personal belongings from his desk.  
"What are you doing?" Morgan asked as Aaron just watched horror struck.  
"Five year compulsory sabbatical. Apparently the FBI doesn't want me like this either" Spencer said bitterly.  
"Where are you going to go?" Prentiss asked.  
Spencer collapsed in to his seat and ran his hands through his hair pulling a little. "I have no fucking idea" he answered surprising everyone with his profanity.  
"Are you going back to Vegas to visit your Mom while you decide?" JJ asked sympathetically.  
"I can't. Seeing me like this could tip Mom over the edge" Spencer said bluntly.

"She'll go crazy if she doesn't see you for five years too" Emily pointed out.

"She should be okay so long as I continue to write to her. Thankfully my handwriting hasn't changed" Spencer said.  
"I'm sorry Pretty Boy, I guess I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. We're going to miss you around here. Keep in touch kid" Morgan said. The other's echoed similar sentiments.  
"You know the worst of it? If it had been any of you it wouldn't have mattered" Spencer said angrily.  
"None if us would have coped any better with being turned into a teenager either Reid" Emily said gently.  
"Ah but there's the thing. You probably wouldn't have been. Being deaged fourteen years wouldn't have made that much difference to your lives. You would still have been old enough for the FBI and it wouldn't have that much impact on your personal lives either. If it was Aaron it might even have been a good thing" Spencer said thinking how much his lover would appreciate them being closer in age and how deaging him would solve the ongoing medical problems he was having as a side effect of being stabbed by Foyet. "I was the only one young enough to have their whole life taken away by this." He finished throwing his things into the cardboard box and turned to go.

"Don't go leaving with out saying goodbye to my Baby Girl now Reid. You don't want to borrow that sort of trouble" Morgan warned him.

Spencer not being at all stupid, put his box down and knocked on the door of Garcia's lair.

"Hey sweetness. Can I help you with something?"

"Undercover support are making me a false ID, I was wondering if when they're done you can make me a fake high school transcript and emancipation paperwork so they can't force me to go back to school" Spencer asked.

"Go back to school, honey you're a FBI agent" Garcia protested already typing furiously.

"Not until I'm twenty-one again" Spencer said sighing. "Strauss kicked me out. Well to be specific I'm on administrative leave until I turn twenty one and go through the academy again."

"What are you going to do?"

"Continue teaching my classes at Georgetown and finish my degree, maybe try to get another doctorate. The bureau are paying 75% of my salary because this happened as a result of my job so I'll be alright financially. I just need to find something worth doing for the next five and a half years" Spencer said trying to be more positive. He didn't want to upset the technical analyst more than he had to, an upset Garcia was a scary Garcia.

"Okay you were granted emancipation last year and graduated Los Vegas High the year before last at the age of fourteen. I've replicated your original grades, which were remarkably impressive by the way. Oh what am I saying of course they were. You're you. The official documents will be sent to you here it will probably take three or four days. I'll call you when they arrive" Garcia rambled.

"Thanks Garcia" Spencer said making a mental note to call her and arrange pick up the following week.

A/N: Thank you to TinyHandz, auntie-sc1 and natzinoo for your support.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

"At least let me give you a fashion makeover before you leave" Penelope said as she walked him out.  
"There's nothing wrong with my clothes" Spencer said defensively.  
"Oh Honey, We love you but honestly you dress like a fifty year old college professor" Penelope said hugging him.

"They're a little old fashioned. You can be an inner geek and still dress fashionably" Emily suggested more diplomatically.  
"And you might find it easier to fit in if you dress like the other students" Morgan said.  
"Guys the only people who are going to be interested in this body are either hebephiles or legally underage themselves. It's better if I don't try to dress to draw that sort of attention. It's not like I can tell people that I'm really twenty nine. Who would believe me?" Spencer said dejectedly.

"You have a point there Pretty Boy" Morgan said sadly as he realised his friend was facing five years of intentional total celibacy and loneliness.

"So you and Hotch are over?" Penelope asked hesitantly.

"I don't think we can get past this. He can barely stand to look at me" Spencer replied sadly. "He says it's just until I grow up again but five years is a long time and he's now 31 years older than me. I think he's going to find it hard to overcome. Someone referred to me as his son when we were out last week and I could see his attitude to me changing."

"Let me dress you up and I guarantee he won't be able to resist you" Penelope encouraged.

Spencer sighed. "Hotch has a stronger sense of right and wrong than anyone I know and a will of iron. I don't think it would work" he said despondently.

"And he'd hate himself if it did" Rossi added not wanting the team to blame Hotch for Reid's leaving them. "And perhaps rightly so."

"Which is why I have to leave" Spencer said bravely. "He's already hating himself for being tempted and it'll be easier for both of us to make a clean break. I'll be back in five years and if Hotch is still single maybe we can try again then."

"If he's still single? Kid, the man loves you" Morgan protested.

"And six years ago he couldn't imagine loving anyone except Haley" Spencer said bluntly. "I don't want him to commit to waiting for me and spend the next five years alone. If it's meant to be then he'll be ready for me when I come back but I want him to live, to enjoy life." He turned to leave and saw Aaron standing just far enough away not to be pulled into the conversation with the others.

"Please come home" Aaron said quietly.

Spencer looked up. "Do you mean that? You want me to come back to you?" he asked hopefully. "You're willing to be with me?"

Aaron's shuttered look and silence answered the question for him and Spencer sighed. "You know why I can't" he whispered heart brokenly.

"Where are you staying? Are you safe?" Aaron asked.

"I'm looking for a place near Georgetown. I've been crashing at the lab the last few days" Spencer replied. "I'm perfectly safe. I'm an armed federal agent after all, or I was until today. Maybe I should have taken Morgan up on those hand to hand combat classes he offered me."

Aaron laughed slightly bitterly. "I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you when you're in town."

"Yeah I'll think about it. I've got to go" Spencer said trying to walk out casually without breaking down in tears again.

"Poor Reid he's lost his relationship, his home and now his job" JJ said sadly.

"And he can't even go home to his mom for comfort" Morgan said. "That's got to suck."

"It'll be a miracle if Reid doesn't end up having problems with his movie club too" Rossi said.  
"He'll have to find a new 'movie club' better suited to a teenager" Emily said obliviously.  
"So he'll lose that support as well" Morgan said frowning. "I wish he'd stay with one of us."  
"I can understand why he won't though. It would be really difficult to see us leave for cases and be left behind" Emily said.  
"So you think he won't hang out with us at all, we're his family" JJ protested.  
"Does he even have any other friends?" Morgan asked.  
"He must have some friends from the university" Emily said.  
"And that friend Ethan in New Orleans" JJ reminded them.  
"Do any of you have any idea what Reid's going to do?" Rossi asked.  
"Go back to university and get another couple of PhDs" Morgan said.  
"He teaches a couple of classes at Georgetown and I think here at the Academy" Emily said.  
"He hates teaching" Rossi said. "Do you think that's going to be enough?"  
"Enough for what?" JJ asked.  
"Enough to keep him going to movie club?" Rossi asked them.  
"Oh god! You don't think he would..." JJ asked horrified.  
"I'm trying to think of any reason he'd have not to" Rossi said. "The BAU was his life, and other than his mom we're his family. His relationship with Hotch is on hold for at least the next five years with no guarantee they'll ever be able to resume it and the only other person he spends significant time with is Henry. He didn't put all that effort into recovering to avoid disappointing his books or his degrees."  
The others looked shocked. "You really think he might… Pretty Boy is too smart for that" Morgan denied.

"He was too smart last time too, that's why it took so long for us to notice he had a problem" Emily retorted. "And Rossi's right even without this potential problem I cant see a life of academia being enough for him."

"Speaking of Henry have you thought about how you're going to explain this to him?" Rossi asked JJ.

"Oh no! How am I going to explain it" JJ exclaimed.

"You mean you invited Spencer to move in with you without explaining the situation to Will?"

"Will will understand, he and Spencer get along like a house on fire since he realised Spencer was never interested in me that way" JJ said. "Henry will be devastated at losing his Godfather."

"You're talking like it's a forgone conclusion they won't see each other. I cant imagine Reid being willing to give up spending tome with Henry" Morgan said frowning.

"My Chocolate god is right Honey. There's no way Dr. Reid will abandon Henry. You can forget that thought right now, so we need to find a way to reintroduce them" Penelope said. "I know we need to throw him a going away party."

"I don't think Reid's going to be in the mood for a party" Emily warned her generous hearted friend.

"He'll need some help to get set up in a new place" Rossi suggested. "Not to mention he got rid of most of his furniture when he moved in with Hotch."

JJ tried to ring Spencer but the phone was turned off.  
"Oh no!" She exclaimed. "Spencer doesn't have a personal phone. He used his work phone for everything and Strauss would have made him turn it in."  
"So we can't even contact him" Morgan said worriedly. "Can you work your magic on this Baby Girl?"  
"I can try Georgetown, he'll have to give them a contact number if he wants to keep working there." Garcia replied. "If worse comes to worse he needs to contact me to get the hard copies of the High school transcripts and ID I organised it to be sent here."  
"Does anybody know where he's been staying?" Rossi asked.  
Garcia did a history search on the GPS in his phone. "It looks like he's been sleeping in the labs at Georgetown" she said sadly. "Why didn't he come to one of us?"  
"He's feeling too hurt and raw at the moment and we already treated him like he's younger than he was" Rossi said. "I'm not surprised he wants to be alone, it's the only time he can ignore the changes."  
"Do you think he will leave Virginia. Maybe go back to Caltech?" Emily asked.

"I hope not" Rossi said vehemently.

The others looked at him surprised. "Caltech is the ultimate geek heaven, it was the perfect place for the preteenaged Reid to recover from the trauma of High School. But while I have no doubt that our Doctor Reid is capable of out geeking the geekiest of them when he wants, it's no longer all he is. I doubt Caltech is going to meet all his needs anymore either" he explained. "Going back there might make things even worse, at least at the moment he has the idea in the back of his mind that he could go back to Caltech and his old life there. But if he tries and fails…"

The others nodded sombrely. "We're going to have to keep in contact and keep supporting him whether he wants us to or not" Emily suggested.

"That might not be so easy, look at how difficult it became to keep in touch with Greenwood, Blake and Seaver" Morgan replied.

-o0o-

"I understand that you feel that you can't come to your regular meeting anymore but please Spencer there are meetings you can still go to"  
"I don't think I need to. The physical cravings are completely gone" Spencer told his sponsor. "It's probably just as well or I'd be in real trouble. I only gave up in the first place because my job was too important to me to compromise like that. I'll admit there's a lot of things going on in my life that I wish I could just escape from for a while but I'm not going to throw what little I've got left away."  
"Find a new meeting anyway Spencer" Bob begged. "Don't wait until you realise you might have been wrong and you need one desperately or it's too late."  
"The only meetings that are going to welcome me looking like this are teen meetings and I'm going to feel like I don't belong there" Spencer replied.  
"And that's fine so long as things are going well. But you need to establish a new source of support in case you need it. Particularly since you've cut yourself off from your whole previous life." There was no censure in Bob's voice about this decision no matter how much he disagreed with it.

"I wish I didn't have to but it hurts too much to see him and know he'll probably never be mine again and it's hurting him too" Spencer said.  
"You'll be eighteen in three years. That's not so long" Bob said.  
"The age gap between us already gave him some issues though it never bothered me, add another fourteen years to that and I don't know of he'll ever be able to overcome it" Spencer replied.

"I'd happily stand up with you and explain what happened to these guys so you can keep coming here to meetings if you want to. The people who know you will accept the explanation and new guys will just assume you're just a very young looking officer undercover.

I've spoken to the chief of cryptography. There's a job there for you of you want it. I could also go over Strauss' head and get you a consultation job with the BAU. You wouldn't be in the field but you would do the simple consults freeing the teams to attend the more urgent cases" Bob said. "Child trafficking might also have a use for you undercover if you were interested in that sort of thing.  
Spencer smiled. "I don't think I could stand working in the BAU and not being part of the team" he said. "And I don't think I've got the nerve to go undercover unarmed. I can't pretend to be a normal teenager. I could barely pass myself off as a normal adult most of the time."  
Bob laughed. "And cryptography?" he pressed.  
"They've been after me for a while. I help out there when we're quiet. They're nice enough to work with though the work itself doesn't really interest me as much as behavioural analysis. It would be okay so long as you can still guarantee me reassignment back to the BAU when I turn twenty one again."  
"I'll make it a condition of your employment. One of the advantages of staying would be access to the FBI training facilities. If you kept up your qualifications you wouldn't have to go back to the academy when you turn twenty one" Bob promised. "It may not hold your interest like the BAU or researching for a new PhD but the work cryptograhpy does is important to national security and I think that you need that at the moment Spencer. To have meaningful work to do that you know you're contributing something to our world."

"It also means that I can use the FBI training facilities and

if I can keep up my qualifications I could get back to the BAU six months earlier" Spencer said smiling. "Would they be willing to offer me flexible hours so I can study as well?"  
"I'm sure they would. But haven't you been studying this whole time?"  
"Undergrad degrees. I need a more regular time commitment to enable me to do the research for another doctorate" Spencer explained.  
"Have you spoken to the university about the classes you teach?" Bob asked.  
"No, I've been teaching most of them for years, the way I look shouldn't have much impact on them. The university already introduces me as a former child prodigy.

-o0o-

"Fear not my peeps" Garcia said coming back. "Our baby genius has a new phone number."  
"Do you think we should call him though? There might be a reason he hasn't given us his number" Emily asked.  
"Not a good reason" Morgan growled.  
"I think you should call. He needs to know that you still want him in Henry's life" Rossi told JJ. "Especially seeing he'll already be missing Jack as well."  
"So I should offer to have Jack around as well so Spence can visit" JJ suggested.  
"I don't know" Emily said. "It might make more trouble between Reid and Hotch." 'Or trouble with you and Hotch' she thought.  
"I'd make the offer" Rossi said. "Let Reid make the decision. I don't know how close he and Jack were."

-o0o-

"Reid" Spencer answered frowning a little as he realised that JJ had probably asked Garcia to find the number for her so they all would have it.  
"Hey Spence. How are you?"  
"I'm fine JJ" Spencer replied. "I've got a lecture in ten minutes."  
JJ took the hint that Spencer was unwilling to chat. "I rang to invite you to come for dinner tonight. Henry has been missing you."  
"How are you going to explain this to Henry and Will?" Spencer asked.  
"I've already explained it to Will. He's fine with it Spencer and Henry isn't going to care. You're still the cool uncle Spence that can answer all his questions and do magic. He loves you Spence. He may look at you a bit funny like he did when you cut your hair short but he'll still want to spend time with you" JJ said reassuringly.  
"I don't know about that. What if he doesn't recognise me?" Spencer asked.  
JJ laughed. "If anything he'll think it's cool that you're closer to his age. I'll have to warn him that you still won't be able to crawl around on the floor with him."  
"Actually I could" Spencer replied.  
"But your knee. Spence you don't need to hurt yourself to make Henry happy to play with you" JJ protested.  
"My knee is fine. There's no scarring or anything. It's like it never was shot" Spencer replied. "The damage to my lungs from the anthrax is gone too. In fact the only scars on my body are the ones I already had when I was fifteen, and my dairy intolerance is much milder than it was. The cravings are gone too, the physical ones at least."  
"What do you mean Spence?" JJ asked concerned.  
"Well the aching in my bones and the itchiness is gone but I still remember exactly how it felt, I know that I could take away all the heartbreak I feel and just stop caring about anything. I'd give almost anything to forget what it felt like. To not know I have that option but I never will" Spencer said sadly.  
"Oh Spence!" JJ said crying.  
"It's okay JJ I'm not planning on using again. Even now I know I have too much to lose" Spencer said reassuringly.

"Promise me something Spence. Promise me that if you feel too alone, if you get tempted that you'll call me" JJ begged. "Come for dinner Spence."  
"Are you sure Will wants a teenager in the house influencing his son?"

"You're not a teenager Spence" JJ replied. "You're his godfather, and one of the most conscientious uncles I could ever find. If looking like a teenager increases your influence over Henry it will only be to his benefit."

"That's your opinion, what does Will think?" Spencer asked suspiciously.  
"Will's looking forward to not being the shortest man in the house" JJ said laughing.

"You're avoiding the subject" Spencer pointed out.

"He doesn't know what to think" JJ admitted. "It will be fine once he spends some time with you and realises that you're still the same Spencer Reid. Just shorter."

"For now!" Spencer said amused. "Tell him not to get used to it I'll be taller than he is again in a couple of months."

JJ laughed.

-o0o-

Jessica had called Spencer as soon as Aaron left for a case.  
"Hi Jess. Did Aaron explain what happened?" Spencer asked.  
"He tried to" Jessica replied unimpressed. "He showed me the photos. Jack is missing you."  
"And I miss him" Spencer replied earnestly. "But it's up to Aaron if he wants Jack told what happened."  
"Jack knows about you becoming a teenager but he doesn't understand why you left" Jessica said bluntly. "He's been asking for you every day."  
"Is he there? Can I talk to him?" Spencer asked.  
"He's at soccer training but you could come for dinner and spend the evening" Jessica said.  
"I can't Jess, it hurts too much when Aaron looks at me like a kid. Please understand" Spencer begged.

"Aaron left for a case this afternoon" Jessica said. "Please come and explain to him. He thinks you don't like him anymore."  
"Nothing could be further from the truth. I miss him almost as much as I miss Aaron and the team" Spencer replied.  
"Aaron only told me you weren't going on this case. Did that miserable sod Strauss fire you?" Jessica asked.  
"She offered me a compulsory leave of absence on 75% pay until I'm twenty one again" Spencer replied. "The director has agreed I can transfer to cryptography instead if I want."  
"So you're still working at Quantico? That will make it difficult to avoid Aaron."

"I'd work in the basement and I get to work whatever hours I want so long as I log 40 hours per week. It's almost like being on holiday" Spencer said. "I just have to avoid the car park at Aaron's usual times."

Jessica laughed. "We'll he's fairly predictable" she agreed. "So you'll come and have dinner with us? I'm staying at Aaron's."  
"I'd love to, I'll pick Jack up from training and bring him home" Spencer offered.  
"Better not. The coach and other moms won't recognise you" Jessica reminded him.  
Spencer sighed. "Yeah you're right. I'll see you at home. Do you want me to bring dinner.  
"No thanks Spencer. I've got lasagne in the oven" Jessica said gratefully.

"Spencer" Jack yelled running in and jumping on the teenager sitting in Spencer's usual chair.  
"Hey Jacko" Spencer said hugging him tightly. "I've missed you so much."  
Jack happily cuddled in finding Spencer's hug just as warm and comforting as always in spite of the skinnier body and arms. "I missed you Spencer" he said. "Are you coming back?"

"I can't be with your Dad at the moment Jack. He could get arrested for having a relationship with a fifteen year old" Spencer explained.

"But you're not really fifteen" Jack objected.

"Yeah I know that and you and your Dad know that Jacko but everyone else won't know that and they'll think your Dad's a bad guy. I don't want that to happen to him" Spencer deliberately explained it in a way that didn't tell Jack how upset he was with Aaron's reactions.

"So where do you live now? Did you move back home with your Mom and Dad? Can I come and visit you?" Jack asked.

"My Mom lives in the hospital in Vegas. She doesn't have a home and I don't know where my Dad lives. I'm staying with friends at the moment but I promise you can come and visit me when I get an appropriate place" Spencer said.

"Can you stay here with me until Dad comes home?" Jack said looking at Spencer entreatingly.

Spencer looked at Jessica. "This is still your home as far as I'm concerned, Spencer. Aaron would tell you that you're welcome here" she said.

"He did" Spencer admitted sadly. "He wanted me to move into the guest room." He blinked the tears out of his eyes.

"Well you can sleep anywhere you want while he's away" Jessica suggested.

"Will you stay Spencer?" Jack asked.

"How about we make a blanket fort and have a sleepover in it?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah" Jack shouted enthusiastically.

"Do you have homework to finish before we can play?" Spencer asked. Jack nodded and got out his books. Spencer grabbed a book out of his bag to read between helping Jack as he needed. He didn't get a chance to open it. Jack had a lot of questions though relatively few were about the homework in front of him.

"Have you been saving all these questions up for me?" Spencer asked amused.

"Yes" Jack said innocently. "You know everything."

"Not everything Jack. If I knew everything I wouldn't be stuck in this teenage body. I could fix it and then I could stay with you and Aaron" Spencer said sadly.

"Don't you like being a kid Spence? I do" Jack asked.

"I'm not a kid Jack, my brain is still an adult" Spencer replied. "My thoughts and feelings are grown up thoughts and feelings. I only look like a teenage kid, I don't feel like one" he explained when he saw Jack hadn't understood.

Jack gave Spencer a hug. "You're still a big person" he said.

Spencer smiled comforted by the simple love of the boy he loved like a stepson.

"You can go home if you want to. I'll stay with him tonight and tomorrow" Spencer said to Jessica as he helped with the dishes.

Jessica smiled. "Thanks Spencer I do have a few things I want to do tomorrow. Call me if you need me."

"I don't have anywhere to be, but can you call me if Aaron calls to say he's on his way home" Spencer said. "I might take Jack out tomorrow, I'll let you know where we'll be."

"Don't spoil him too much, you can come back every time Aaron's away if you want" Jessica said.

"I'd like that. Jack's like a son to me. I don't want him to remember me as someone who just walked out of his life without warning" Spencer said.

In spite of Jessica's warning Spencer did in fact spoil Jack that weekend, they slept in the blanket fort every night and went to the zoo and the aquarium, Spencer brought Jack to his soccer game and cheered enthusiastically, treating the whole team to commiserating ice-creams when they lost. He watched Jack climb onto the school bus before he left for work on Monday and was home to greet him when he arrived back home. On Tuesday Jessica who'd been in touch with Garcia rang to warn Spencer that Aaron would be home that night and Spencer asked her to meet the school bus and look after Jack until his father arrived. Jessica agreed and offered to call Spencer the next time Aaron went on a case.

So the conspiracy was born. Jessica rang Spencer as soon as Aaron let her know he'd be away and Spencer moved back into the house to look after Jack being careful to leave before the older man returned. Neither Jessica nor Jack said anything to Aaron about the arrangement, Jessica because she knew how much it would devastate the deaged teenager if Aaron asked him to stop spending so much time with his son and Jack because he could see the deep sadness in both men whenever he mentioned the other.

-o0o-

Dinner with JJ was cancelled when the team got called away but Will encouraged Spencer to still come over and see Henry. Spencer explained that he was spending time with Jack but Will was happy to have the other young boy along as well. The four of them enjoyed their dinner, the two boys played together well in spite of the difference in their ages having been encouraged to think of each other as cousins. They fell asleep on the couch together.

"Does your heart good to come home at the end of the day and see their innocence and love" Will said.

"Tough day?" Spencer asked.

Will shrugged. "The usual, domestic violence, teenage runaways. You?"

"Lecture hall's full of students that didn't listen to me, an experiment that didn't work due to outside contaminants, codes that I just couldn't see the pattern in. Being hit on by a thirteen year old in the mall" Spencer replied. "My new usual. Is it wrong to say I'd rather be dealing with a serial killer."

Will chuckled. "It's understandable. The BAU takes over your life, I know how bad it was when Jayje got transferred to the State Department. I thought it was great, she was still doing an important job and she got to come home every night but it was like she'd lost a part of her family."

"I feel like I've been disowned. The team was the closest thing to a functional family I've ever had" Spencer admitted.

"JJ hasn't disowned you Spence, we still want you in our lives. JJ thinks of you as her little brother, changing jobs isn't going to change that" Will said putting a supportive hand on Spencer's shoulder.

A/N: Thank you to Tiny Handz, Guest and Angel Went Crazy for your support.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

In spite of everyone on the team's best intentions, Spencer Reid virtually disappeared from the BAU. He rarely answered his phone when they called and declined most of their invitations to hang out. He still saw JJ infrequently when he stopped to see his godson while she was home but he'd asked her not to mention Hotch to him or him to Hotch and never asked about the team. JJ respected his privacy and kept the knowledge of his visits to herself.

Garcia mentioned Reid occasionally to Morgan and JJ when the alert she'd put on his file pinged as he added new qualifications. Extra certified languages and a PhD in forensic sociology, and in Criminal Psychology, a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and studies into the anatomy of schizophrenia. As Spencer began his search for a cure to his mother's illness Garcia began to worry that he wouldn't return to them when the time came.

Rossi reconnected with Reid once he'd retired again, meeting him on the university campus for lunch once a week. It was awkward at first but they soon became close again and Spencer appreciated the older man treating him like he always had. Reid began to help Rossi with his writing, beginning with proof reading manuscripts then by helping with the research into the cases his eidetic memory quickly able to add his point of view to Rossi's note. The team smiled when they went to Rossi's new book launch and saw Dr Spencer Reid listed as co-author but the young man refused to come to any of the book signings.

Morgan transferred over to run one of the other BAU teams when Spencer was eighteen and seeing Reid in the gym one day soon after that, began teaching him basic hand-to-hand combat. It saddened Morgan that Spencer would only agree to meet with him on days that Hotch was out of town but he took what he could get and re-established his friendship with the man he loved like a little brother. Slowly Spencer's hand-to- hand skills improved.

"You seem driven. You're already better than you were before" Morgan said after one session.

"And if my skills and reflexes had been better last time maybe I could have taken Ecclestone before he did this" Spencer replied.

"Seriously Pretty Boy, hasn't there been at least a few positives to being younger again?" Morgan asked.

"I'm getting the opportunity to try to find the cure for schizophrenia" Spencer replied. "It doesn't feel like I'm making much headway with it but at least I'm doing all I can."

"That's the only positive thing going on in your life?" Morgan asked worried.

"I cracked a code and saw a pattern of behaviour which prevented a major terrorist action" Spencer said proudly.

"I mean in your personal life" Morgan replied.

"I don't have a personal life Morgan" Spencer replied gently.

"The guys in cryptology see me as a little kid who they tolerate in work hours because of my brain but don't want to be bothered with outside of work. I have nothing in common with the students in my classes. The people I'm researching schizophrenia with are accepting but all too obsessed to have a social life of their own. I tried to date but it still feels wrong, like I'm cheating on Hotch, destroying the future we might have if only I can be patient."

"So what do you do other than work?" Morgan asked.

"I have lunch with Rossi and hang with Jack and Henry when JJ and Hotch are out of town" Spencer replied. "It's not so bad, I didn't have much of a personal life when I was this age last time either."

After this conversation Morgan tried to include him more in what he was doing but the truth was Spencer was busy with his work and research and still not interested in sports or old enough to go out to bars so they mostly caught up in the gym.

As much as he desperately avoided seeing or speaking about Aaron Spencer still kept up with what he was doing through casually dropped comments mostly from Jessica, Morgan, Rossi and Will LaMontagne. He heard how higher management tried several times to promote Hotch out of the field but That Hotch had stated firmly that this was where his heart was.

"He's waiting for you to come back kid" Rossi said.

"Professionally perhaps" Spencer said noncommittally. "That's not the only reason he's avoiding the promotion. He'd hate the politics involved in being section chief."

Aaron had taken Spencer's advice and tried to date and move on with his life though none of his relationships lasted long each one not able to cope with the demands of his job and leaving him feel empty inside. Unfortunately he had been dating someone when in a moment of weakness Spencer had tried to see if there was any hope of them getting back together now that he'd turned eighteen. Spencer had taken the news badly and decided not to approach his former lover.

If Aaron had known this he would have kicked himself. He would have given the other person up in an instant for even the slightest opportunity to reconnect with Spencer, even if they were only friends or fuck buddies, He would have accepted anything Spencer was willing to give him to have the young man back in his life. Aaron still missed Spencer and even while dating others his nights were filled with dreams of the younger man (in his twenty nine year old body), unknowingly influenced by the faint smell of Spencer that lingered in his bed from the fact that Spencer often spent the night there while the team were away on cases.

-o0o-

Finally the day came when the doctors agreed that Spencer Reid's body was that of a twenty one year old. He was in perfect health and actually his diet and exercise regime meant he was in much better shape than when he'd originally been accepted into the academy. He'd passed his firearm requalification and all the other physical tests to regain his field agent status before making an appointment with the Director.

"Everything seems in order for you to return to field duty. Are you sure you want to return to the BAU though? You've done some very impressive work in cryptography" the Director asked.

"Not to sound weird but the BAU is my calling. It's where I feel I can do the most good" Spencer said.

"Well we did give you our word" the Director replied. "There's a place on Team A. SSA Hotchner's team if you want it."

"Thank you" Spencer replied smiling and nodding his acceptance.

"You actually have the experience to be next in line to be appointed Senior Profiler. There'll be a spot opening up on Team C in about four months" the Director said.

"Let me settle back in and brush the dust off my skills, and I'll let you know if I'm interested" Spencer said. "I want to be back on Hotch's team if I can, but I'm not sure how it will go. You can't go back and repeat the past and sometimes it's better not to keep trying."

"SSA Morgan has also offered you a spot on his team but given that we'd have to transfer another agent to make room for you I'd rather not do that until the big shakeup that will come when SSA Clarke retires."

Spencer smiled. It was nice to know his friend was still looking out for him.

-o0o-

Spencer had planned out his appearance with extreme care for this first planned meeting between them in more than five years. He'd cut his hair to the length that Aaron had most seemed to enjoy running his hands through it. He'd worn a combination of purple (his former signature colour) and Aaron's favourite shade of blue which he wore much more frequently these days, not just to feel closer to the older man but because knowing that Aaron would like what he was wearing gave him confidence in his own attractiveness, something he still struggled with most of the time. He'd made sure his clothing was perfectly pressed and fit well enough to reveal the increased muscle tone he'd built up maintaining his field credentials and removing the exemptions from his file. He was more nervous than he'd ever been in his life, his first day in the FBI or even turning up for his first day at Caltech at the age of twelve seemed like a cakewalk compared to today.

-o0o-

Aaron called the team together. "The new team member replacing Pyke will be here this morning" he started.  
"Why didn't you talk to us about this? I thought you wanted our input on the next candidate" JJ asked frowning.  
"I would have but I wasn't given a choice either, we've been allocated this person until Clarke retires when he or she will have the choice of being transferred to Jonah's new team. They've only given me part of their personnel file which interestingly doesn't include a name or gender" Hotch reported. "They've worked in cryptology for the last five years, have received multiple awards for their work there and have apparently completed all the profiling courses though I have no results of how well they did or when."  
"So we're pretty much training this guy up for Jonah" Anderson said frowning.  
"Yes but that could be a good thing. It will leave us with a vacant position in time for Spence to take when he graduates the academy" JJ said enthusiastically.

Kevin Lynch typed something into the laptop in front of him. "I checked the enrolment list for the new class at the academy. Reid's name isn't on it" he said. Their new case involved an internet link so both the techs were involved in making the presentation.  
"He's not coming back?" Hotch asked surprised.  
"He hasn't said anything to me lately about it either way" JJ said. "I just assumed he would though I know he's been pretty invested in his research lately."  
"I saw him enter Cruz's office as we were about to leave for a case a couple of days ago" Anderson said.  
"I'll find out what our junior G man is up to" Garcia said. "I'll have details of every move he's made in the last six months for you shortly."  
"No need Garcia" Spencer said entering the room. "I'm here."  
"Baby genius" Penelope said hugging him. "What are you doing here?"

JJ got up and hugged him too, before stepping back to watch the interaction between Hotch and Reid.  
"He's rejoining your team" Cruz said handing the complete copy of Reid's personnel file to Hotch. "I expect you have no objections Agent Hotchner."

"No not at all. Welcome back Reid. This is Agent Faulke, and of course you know Agents Jareau and Anderson, and our technical wonders Agents Garcia and Lynch" Hotch said shaking his hand in a business like manner and smiling slightly.  
"You didn't go back through the academy" JJ said.  
"I didn't need to. I never resigned from the FBI" Spencer replied. "I've been working a couple of days per week in cryptography since I left the BAU and I've kept all my certifications up."  
"And cryptology let you go?" Hotch asked knowing how hard cryptology had argued to get Reid allocated to them when he graduated the academy. It had only been Gideon's insistence, reputation and patronage that allowed him to be allocated to the BAU.

"It was a limited time contract. They didn't have a choice" Spencer replied. "You do though. If you'd rather I didn't come back to your team, Morgan's offered me a spot on his team. He said you could have Gleeson as a trade" Spencer said swallowing nervously.

"Of course we want you back sweet cheeks!" Garcia exclaimed before the others could comment.

"We certainly would rather have you than Agent Gleeson" Anderson agreed.

"What about you Hotch, do you want me back?" Spencer said staring at his former lover seriously making it obvious that he wasn't just talking about his place on the team.

"You've been missed more than you'll ever know" Aaron replied. "Do you want your old desk back?"

"Is it free?" Spencer asked.

"Well no but you have seniority on it if you want it. Agent Faulke has only been with us a couple of months. Otherwise the desk to the left of it is free. There have been some changes since you were here last. Come I'll give you a tour" Hotch said formally.

"Thanks" Reid replied. "I would like my old desk if you don't mind. It wouldn't feel right sitting at Emily's desk" he added to Agent Faulke.

"I'll move my things" Erika Faulke replied aware she wasn't being given a choice though in actual fact she did mind giving up her space to the new usurper.

"Welcome back Spence. We'll catch up later, yeah?" JJ said smiling.

"I'd like that JJ" Spencer replied smiling back at his friend.

"Clarke's team has taken rotation for the day to let you get settled in" Cruz said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"He seems very different to Strauss" Spencer commented once he was sure the Section Chief was out of earshot.

"He is, but keep in mind he's still part of the establishment, you don't become section chief without following the rules" Hotch replied. He showed Reid where to find the things that might have been moved in his absence ending up in his office. Closing the door and the blinds he turned to Spencer and hugged him tightly.

"I have missed you, here and at home. Do you think we could have another chance?"

"I'm yours if you want me. I always have been" Spencer replied, leaning up to kiss Aaron's mouth chastely.

"I do want you. I love you Spencer" Aaron responded but didn't deepen the kiss mindful of where they were. "Not here" he murmured. "Tonight, after work? I'll ask Jessica to spend the evening with Jack."

"All right, I'll meet you here at the end of the day" Spencer agreed smiling. "I best go get my desk set up and get started." He gave an awkward wave, the first sign of the awkward young man he'd been when Hotch met him and grabbing his messenger bag headed for the bullpen.

-o0o-

"At the end of the day Spencer walked up to Hotch's office. He knocked apprehensively and entered when asked.  
Aaron looked up with a smile. "Enjoy you're first day back?" He asked. They'd managed to smile at each other across the bullpen several times throughout the day but hadn't been able to talk.  
"Yeah I did, it's not the same without Prentiss, Morgan and Rossi though" Spencer replied walking over to sit on the couch in the corner. "Are you nearly done for the day?"  
"Did you have any trouble with their replacements?" Hotch asked deciding that paperwork could wait for once and packing up his things.  
"I had to remind Faulke that I wasn't actually a probationer, but she took it fairly well considering" Spencer reported. "I don't think she was too pleased about the desk."  
"Is that something you want to report?" Hotch asked remembering that Spencer often told Aaron things that Reid didn't want Hotch to officially know.  
"No I think it's sorted" Spencer replied. "There seems to be more resentment outside the team than there was last time. Or maybe it's because Gideon wasn't with me to run interference or perhaps I'm just less oblivious than I was last time around." Spencer chuckled wryly.  
"I haven't been aware of any resentment but I haven't had time to hang about the other departments today to hear the talk going on. There was resentment that you were allocated straight from the academy to the BAU last time. I could ask Cruz to send out a memo welcoming you back to remind everyone that you are a senior agent and experienced profiler" Hotch offered.  
"It's not important" Spencer said.

"It will help morale around the rest of the sections especially among those who believe that they got passed over again so you could have your position back" Hotch replied.

"Whatever you think is best" Reid agreed.  
"Dinner?" Aaron asked packing up his things.  
Spencer smiled. "Takeaway Thai" he suggested.  
"Your place or mine? Do you still want the Pad Thai?" Hotch asked.

"Is Jack at home?" Spencer asked. Aaron nodded.

"Then we should go to mine. We need to talk before I go home to him with you" Spencer said. "There's a great Thai place near my apartment?"  
"Did you drive in?" Hotch asked as they walk towards the car park.  
"No I'm only a block from the metro" Spencer replied.

"This reminds me of your old apartment, but smaller" Aaron said looking around the small lounge room full off books and papers.  
Spencer shrugged. "It's in a good location. And the rent's reasonable. I don't need much space just for me."  
"You've been alone this whole time?"

Spencer shrugged. "I looked like a teenager but I was still in my late twenties and early thirties. I couldn't date an actual teenager it would have been even more wrong than you being with me, and nobody else was interested unless they were a hebephile. I understand better now why you were so freaked out. Even the last couple of years I couldn't bring myself to date someone who looks my age. It wouldn't be fair, not to mention I'm at a different stage in life and prefer my partners older so most of them didn't interest me."

"Thirty one years is a huge age difference" Aaron said uncertainly.

"I still think of myself as thirty five Aaron" Spencer said honestly. "The age difference between us hasn't changed in my mind and you know I never cared about it anyway. You're still an incredibly attractive man. You're everything I ever wanted." He waited anxiously for Aaron to respond. "I love you Aaron, I've loved you for a long time. I know you can never go back in time but I want to be with you. I want what we had before."

Aaron wrapped his arms around Spencer. "I want that too."

Spencer kissed him hesitantly relaxing when Aaron deepened the kiss. "I've missed you so much" Aaron said groaning as he pulled Spencer hard against him.

"I need you" Spencer moaned thrusting his erection into Aaron's. "Please Aaron…"

"We should talk first" Aaron protested half-heartedly as he started undressing Spencer, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders.

"We've said the important things. I love you Aaron. I need to feel you love me, I've waited so long" Spencer replied kissing Aaron before reluctantly letting his arms drop from around Aaron's to free them from the shirt then began feverishly attacking Aaron's clothing. As soon as they were naked he pushed Aaron down onto the couch and straddled him.

"This would be more comfortable in a bed" Aaron murmured, not really complaining but aware that he no longer had the flexibility the twenty one year old did.

"Don't have one" Spencer replied reaching for the lube. He handed it to Aaron. "I need to feel you inside me."

"Condom?" Aaron asked.

Spencer stilled then reached up again and handed one to Aaron. "You don't need it on my account" he said quietly.

"We've not all been safely ensconced in cryptography where the biggest physical risk is a paper cut. I was scratched by an unsub with a knife a couple of months ago. It barely broke the surface but he hadn't cleaned it and we're not sure we identified all the victims" Aaron explained.

Spencer nodded acceptingly. He hooked one leg over the back of the sofa opening himself for Aaron to begin stretching him, moaning at the feel of Aaron's fingers.

"Enough, more I need you…" Spencer begged pulling Aaron down for a kiss.

"This is your body's first time I don't want to hurt you" Aaron reminded him

"I'm ready" Spencer said writhing on the three fingers now filling him, whining as Aaron removed his fingers then eagerly welcoming the blunt pressure as Aaron slowly pushed inside him.

Aaron stilled, kissing him passionately and massaging his lower back as he adjusted to the pain of the intrusion.

"Make me yours"

"You're already mine, and I'm yours. I love you Spencer" Aaron groaned rocking his hips slowly.

"Yes I'm yours" Spencer agreed arching his back. "You feel so good…"

He loved it when Aaron was so gentle and caring with him, and he loved it when he could get Aaron to lose control and pound him into the mattress as hard as he could too. In fact he loved every sort of sex he and Aaron used to have and looked forward to rediscovering them all. Now though he wanted it hard and fast, he wanted to feel claimed and he wanted to be able to feel it every time he moved until Aaron did it again tomorrow.

He cried out as he came and Aaron soon followed collapsing on top of him. This was another thing Spencer loved, the afterglow, snuggling up feeling complete and loved. At twenty one though his refractory time was very quick and Aaron groaned in dismay as he felt the younger man hardening against him.

"Spencer you say the age difference isn't going to worry you but despite what you think in your mind your body is thirty years younger than mine, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to meet your needs.  
Spencer looked up at Aaron, realising that this was a serious concern for the older man. "You're everything I need" he said earnestly. "Tonight's the first time I've had sex with someone other than myself in six years, of course I want everything you can give me. But it's the feelings of love and acceptance that matter. I can go and jerk off in the shower if it worries you" he offered hoping Aaron wouldn't send him off to masturbate in his own.

Aaron pulled him tighter, kissing him lightly. "Stay" he murmured.

-o0o-

"I think I need to apologise in advance for Jack" Aaron said as they drove home to him.  
"What? Why?" Spencer asked. "Jack's great."  
"Normally I'd agree buy he has been obnoxiously possessive and rude to all my dates in the last few years" Aaron told him.

Spencer laughed ruefully. "Aaron I don't know if you're aware of this but I've been helping Jessica look after Jack while you're away on cases. Jack will be fine with me. I saw him last week."

"You've been staying at the house with Jack?" Aaron asked. "That's why I always dream of you the first night back from a case. Your smell must linger in the house."

"I hope that's not the only reason you dream about me" Spencer replied.

"No I often dream of you but the dreams on the first night back always seem the most vivid" Aaron said.

"I've been sleeping in your bed sometimes" Spencer admitted hoping his lover wouldn't be angry.

Aaron laughed. "It's your bed too" he said before looking panicked for a moment. "Um that's if you want it to be… You don't have to move back in with us of you're not ready…"

"I want nothing more than for us to be a family again" Spencer reassured him. "My lease is set to run out at the end of the month and I've been hoping not to have to renew it. I'll start packing this weekend after we talk to Jack."

Jack was in the lounge waiting for his dad to come home for dinner. He was upset that his father was bringing a date and had tossed Lego all over the room pretending to be building though he was getting too old for Lego and rarely played with it other than the technical Lego kits Spencer had bought him which were too precious to throw around so he was using the old tub that if it wasn't for it being so good at irritating his dad's dates he would've got rid of by now.

"Spencer" Jack said urgently, jumping up and running over to him. "You've got to go Spence! Dad'll be home any minute."  
"It's okay Jack" spencer said hugging the boy.  
"I'd love you to stay Spence but Dad's bringing a date home for dinner" Jack said, worried about Spencer being hurt.  
Spencer gave him a huge smile. "Jack it's fine. I am your Dad's date" he said.  
"You and Dad are getting back together?" Jack said excitedly. "Are you gonna move back in?"  
"Yes I will move my stuff back as soon as we get a day off" Spencer confirmed. "I've rejoined the team as well. Things are going to go back to the way they were before."

Jack nodded.

"What's wrong Jacko? I thought you'd want Aaron and I to get back together." Spencer asked.

"I do want you and Dad to be happy. I want you to move back in. But if you go back on the team too then you won't be here when Dad's away" Jack protested. "Who's gonna look after me if you go away with Dad?"  
"I've known I was going back to the BAU for a while now Jack, either on your Dad's team or Uncle Morgan's. I spoke to Aunt Jessica. You'll stay there overnight while we're away" Spencer said.  
"But what about sleepovers with my friends?" Jack asked.  
"You'll still be allowed to sleep over at a friend's house so long as Dad and Jessica know where you are and well try to organise friends to stay over here while we're home. I'm sure if we got called away suddenly Jessica would be willing to stay here and supervise a sleepover occasionally if it was organised in advance."  
"I don't want to stay with Aunt Jessica. You're more fun" Jack protested.  
"We'll still go to the zoo and the museum" Spencer said. "Your Dad can come too."  
Jack still pouted.  
"How about you clean up the blocks so you don't get in trouble with your Dad" Spencer suggested as Aaron walked in.

Aaron was disappointed to see Jack frowning as he walked into the lounge. "Jack pick up your blocks, dinner's ready. Spencer can you help me dish up."

"Sure" Spencer said following Aaron into the kitchen and Aaron dumped the bags on the counter and pulled Spencer into his arms.

"What's up with Jack? Wasn't he happy we're getting back together?" Aaron asked concerned that Spencer would be upset by his son's attitude.

"He's thrilled that we're going to be a family again and wants me to move back in. He wasn't pleased that I'm back on the team. I think he liked it that I was home with him while you were away" Spencer reported, kissing him passionately.

Jack came in while they were kissing and groaned. "Eeww. I'm hungry" he whined making both the adults laugh.

"Sorry Jack you're just going to have to get used to me kissing Spencer" Aaron said unrepentantly as he collected plates and started serving out the food while Spencer set the table.

"Whatever" Jack said dismissively.

"Did you finish your science project Jack?" Spencer asked before Jack got himself in trouble.

"Yeah Ms Roberts was really impressed. I remembered all the names and everything" Jack replied enthusiastically.

"Yes not yeah, Jack" Aaron corrected. "Tell me about your project I haven't heard about it."

"You were away. Spencer helped me we made a light box thing that shined the constellations on the wall."

"Shone the constellations Jack" Spencer said gently. "But you did most of the work and you worked hard to memorise the constellations" he added knowing that Aaron would be angry if he thought he'd done the work for Jack.

"Did you bring it home?" Aaron asked his son.

"No it's gotta stay at school until after parent's night. You are gonna come to parent's night right?" Jack demanded.

"I'll make every effort to come Jack" Aaron said praying he would be home to go.

"And you Spencer you'll come too?" Jack asked.

"If you want me to, I'd be honoured" Spencer replied.

"Are you old enough yet for me to call you Papa?" Jack asked Spencer.  
"I'm old enough but we should ask your Dad if it's okay that you call me Papa" Spencer replied ruffling the boy's hair and making him scowl.  
"What's this?" Aaron asked curiously.  
"Back when I looked fifteen Jack got upset one day because the staff at the zoo kept referring to me as his brother. He asked me what other names there were for Dad because he thought calling us both Dad would get confusing and I didn't want him to call me Dad because that's his name for you and so I told him several other names children have called their fathers in the past. I didn't want him to call me father because it sounds too official and that's you too so he chose the name Papa. But I told him that he couldn't call me that in front of anybody because I looked fifteen and if people thought you were having a romantic relationship with a fifteen year old you could get in a lot of trouble and even lose your job so now we're together again I'm obviously old enough for you to not get in trouble over us being together then I'm old enough to be Jack's Papa if he wants me to. I mean if that's okay with you of course" Spencer babbled nervously.  
It was a good thing that Aaron and Jack both had plenty of experience deciphering Spencer's nervous rambling or they wouldn't have understood half what he said he was speaking so quickly.  
"I'm fine with you calling Spencer Papa if you want to Jack" Aaron said smiling.  
"Thanks Dad" Jack said happily.

-o0o-

"Are you really okay with Jack calling me Papa?" Spencer asked later that night.  
"I am" Aaron confirmed. "I was surprised by it but I love that the two of you are so close and you've pretty much been co-parenting for the last six years. I don't know how you and Jessica hid it from me so well."  
"We didn't ask Jack to lie to you or not to tell" Spencer explained hurriedly. "He told Jessica that he didn't talk about me to you, or you to me because it always made us both so sad. I am surprised he remembered about calling me Papa though he hasn't brought it up in years. I thought he'd outgrown the idea."

-o0o-

Spencer settled into his job though he missed the old team. This team didn't feel like a family yet. After a little observation he realised that it wasn't that he was on the outside, the team as a whole just didn't gel.  
JJ and Garcia accepted him back enthusiastically and he'd always worked well with Anderson who settled quickly once he realised that Reid's return didn't threaten his place on the team. The one persistent irritation was Faulke who in spite of the memo sent out by Hotch and Spencer himself explaining the situation, continued to treat him like a probationer or worse a cadet. He finally admitted to Hotch that she was undermining him in front of the local LEOs and impeding his ability to do his job.

"I wonder why JJ hasn't been made senior profiler" Faulke said to Anderson. She was worried that if they appointed an outsider as senior she would lose her position on the team, especially as Reid apparently had previous experience in spite of his age. Her best bet was to discredit him so his appearance became a liability. 'He was too young anyway he needed to learn that his brain couldn't get him positions he didn't earn' she justified.  
"I think Cruz is waiting for Reid to settle in, he outranks JJ so Cruz would need a really good reason to promote JJ instead, but he doesn't know him. Reid left on sabbatical before Strauss died" Anderson replied. "Rumour is that Reid's going to be given the choice of become the senior profiler on Jonah's team or ours."  
"What do you mean Reid outranks JJ?" Faulke asked derisively.  
"He has five PhDs, eight undergrad degrees and thirteen years working for the bureau, at least seven of them as a profiler" Anderson said. "Dr Reid's not as young as he looks, there was some freak attack by an unsub turned him back into a teenager so he couldn't be a field agent until he looked twenty one again."  
'So my position's safe' Faulke thought feeling slightly guilty over the way she'd been treating Reid. It made her feel uncomfortable around him and she hoped he chose the other team.

-o0o-

Hotch had been watching the team's interactions with each other and with the local LEOs carefully and he had to say he wasn't impressed with the behaviour of his probationary agent. He was amused to see JJ and Anderson fall into the automatic habit of deferring to Reid as the senior profiler and being careful to refer to him as Doctor. In each case the local police had treated Reid's expertise with respect until Faulke had stepped in. The second time it happened Reid was able to stand up for himself and prove the young woman wrong but not before the damage was done. It was almost the end of the day and Hotch asked Faulke to accompany him to collect meals for the team.

"It is difficult sometimes to get the local police to accept our porfile. What we do is so different from their usual methods of investigating" Hotch began.

"I understand that" Faulke replied almost cutting him off.

"Then you'll also understand that we need to present a united front and keep any differences of opinion and personal issues to ourselves. Undermining a team member can have a negative impact on our effectiveness" Hotch said severely.

"Hotch?" Faulke said insecurely. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

"It's not just me you need to apologise too. You're treatment of Doctor Reid not only disrespects him but undermines his contributions in the eyes of the locals. If it keeps happening it may lead to them ignoring a suggestion in a way that allows an unsub to kill again or escape entirely."

"I didn't mean to" Faulke stammered.

"Well then now you are aware of the issue I expect you to resolve it. You owe Reid a public apology and when we get back you will give him one. Senior Supervisory Agent Doctor Reid is one of the best profilers I have ever worked with, you could learn a lot from him" Hotch said uncompromisingly.

-o0o-

Reid looked anxiously up at his Section Chief Mateo Cruz. "I want to stay on Hotch's team" he said firmly. "But there's something you need to know before you make the decision. Aaron and I are together."

"How long has this been going on?" Mateo asked concerned.

"Eight years Seven months and twelve days" Spencer replied. "But nothing physical ever happened while my body was underage. I only spoke to him once between the time I left the team and the day I rejoined the BAU."

"So you were together before all this mess occurred" Mateo said surprised.

"Yes that was what made it all so emotionally difficult" Spencer said bluntly.

"Does the team know?" Mateo asked.

"Our old team all knew we were living together before the attack occurred, and they're aware that I moved back in a couple of weeks ago. I believe Anderson realised what was going on when I was deaged and suddenly homeless though he may have known earlier" Spencer replied. "I don't know if he knows we're back together and I don't believe Faulke knows anything about it."

"So you want to be his second in command. Don't you think that might be a conflict of interest?" Mateo asked.

"Last time Rossi became my direct supervisor to avoid conflicts like that. I was hoping you would agree to supervise me directly, or allow Morgan to do so, so Hotch won't be in my chain of command."

Mateo nodded. "The two of you cope being in the field together?"

He asked.

"As the two senior members of the team we rarely partner each other, and we both compartmentalise rather well. It has never been a problem except when one of us was seriously injured and that always became a problem with most of the rest of the team as well. Our team was our family, and most of the time we functioned better because of it."

"You're old team did have a record solve level" Mateo agreed, "It hasn't been matched since you left the BAU. But seriously, Strauss agreed to this?" he asked rubbing his temples.

"I'm not entirely certain she knew" Spencer admitted.

"Why are you prepared to tell me and not Agent Strauss?" Mateo asked.

"Partly because Aaron and I are life partners, not just romantically involved and partly because Strauss had a history of not being entirely supportive of Aaron and the team. It was difficult to trust her" Spencer said diplomatically.

"What if you can't be on the same team? Would you prefer to be on Morgan's team or Jonah's?" Mateo asked.

"Neither" Spencer said disappointed but determined. "If Aaron and I were on separate teams we'd hardly get to see each other with all the travelling we'd do. If I can't be on Hotch's team then I'd request that you make a new position for me doing all the preliminary consults to free up the teams, or I'd go back to cryptography. Jack would probably prefer I do that anyway."

"Jack? Jack Hotchner?" Mateo asked.

Spencer nodded. "Jack's my son in all but blood. Jessica, Morgan, JJ and Garcia conspired with me so I could stay with Jack while his father was away without having to see Aaron."

"Why was it so important you didn't see Aaron?" Mateo asked.

"I was a fifteen year old kid with all my teenage hormones centred on the man I love. It was just easier not to see him when we couldn't do anything about the way we felt" Spencer said shrugging. "Aaron would have hated himself for it if I had managed to seduce him."

"Hotch has dated in the last six years" Mateo said gently not wanting to upset the young man but believing he needed to know.

"Yes, I told him to" Spencer replied calmly.

-o0o-

So things settled down though they weren't exactly the way they used to be. JJ was promoted to senior profiler on Jonah's new team and Faulkes wasn't able to completely overcome her resentment of Reid and ended up being transferred into Human Trafficking. The new team settled in, solved cases and slowly built up a camaraderie. Aaron and Spencer were open about their relationship though still strictly professional at work.

At home too there were changes, some as a result of time. Jack was older and the years of Spencer staying with him while Aaron was away had cemented Spencers place in his heart as his third parent, their family was close and happy.

Spencer and Aaron though neither were prepared to admit it did have some problems due to their ages. It was embarrassing to both of them to be mistaken for father and son and it did happen frequently with strangers. To combat this both had become more openly affectionate in public away from work earning them a lot more dirty looks from a distance which they became very good at ignoring instead of awkward confrontations. One of the biggest problems though was the way the age difference affected them in bed.

Aaron was acutely aware of his increased recovery time and knowing he was only going to be able to perform once worked hard to get his lover off using his hands and his mouth during foreplay. Spencer on the other hand was embarrassed by his lack of stamina and began masturbating in the shower before joining Aaron in bed in the hope that he could then last long enough the second or third time to satisfy his partner. Spencer never realised that Aaron was aware of what he was doing and humiliated by the thought that he wasn't meeting Spencer's needs. Aaron never mentioned this to Spencer not wanting to drive him into wanting a relationship with a younger lover.

As troubling as this was Aaron was happier than he'd been while he and Spencer had been apart and tried to do everything in his power to make the young man happy as well. Spencer was also happier than he'd ever been though he was concerned with the fact Aaron didn't seem as committed to the relationship as he was at times. Recognising that this had a lot to do with Aaron's own insecurities, Spencer worked hard to try to show Aaron that he loved him and that the older man was all Spencer would ever want in life.

A/N: Thank you to WishingWellDreams, brinney, Catcat1520, Daf804 and giderasia for your support


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of their characters.

Two Years Later

"I've found him, I've found him, we've got the cretin" Garcia said running into the bullpen excitedly.

"Found who Garcia" Spencer asked.

"Wilhelm Ecclestone, the bastard that attacked our Baby Genius and turned him into… well a real baby genius. Facial recognition just pinged him. He's at LAX" Garcia said excitedly.

"Did you contact airport security to detain him?" Hotch asked having come out to see what the fuss was about.

"Oh my goodness I'm sorry" Garcia replied hurrying back to get her babies to work their magic. "I'll try to find him now and contact them."

"Was he in the departures or arrivals area Garcia?" Spencer asked following her into her tech cave.

"Departures" Garcia replied absently as she searched.

"Can you backtrack to when the facial recognition found him and follow to see what gate he left from? If he got on a plane he's probably still in the air" JJ suggested.

"Got him, he boarded at Gate 33 ten minutes ago. The plane hasn't left the gate yet. Do you want security to arrest him now?"

"Where's the plane going?" Anderson asked.

"Oh! Vancouver" Garcia reported.

"We have to Arrest him before he crosses the border we don't have the time to deal with Canadian law enforcement before the plane lands" Hotch said.

"Have the plane delayed and get the local FBI or police to board the plane and arrest him" Anderson suggested.

"If he's carrying the chemical in his carryon luggage that could be a disaster" Spencer said. "Could we get the crew to fake engine trouble or something after leaving the gate and have the passengers deplane at one of the emergency outdoor gates. If we deplaned the children first then did it row by row and quickly moved the other passengers upwind so they wouldn't be at risk."

"I'll see what I can do. Spencer alert the local field office that we have a serial killer at LAX" Hotch said contacting LAX police to explain the situation.

"Morgan's team is in Los Angeles, do you want them there" Spencer asked.

"If their case isn't time sensitive" Hotch replied moving to his office to co-ordinate the arrest.

-o0o-

"If he has an antidote, would you take it?" JJ asked while they waited to hear if the arrest had been made without anyone being harmed.

Spencer paled. "If I could guarantee it would make Aaron happy" he said nodding.

"You would really give up fourteen years of your life. Become thirty five?" Faulke asked incredulously.

"In my mind I'm already thirty five" Spencer replied.

"It would certainly make it easier for the two of you in public, and for you in the feild" Anderson said.

"Provided I didn't develop schizophrenia" Spencer said quietly.

"He would never ask you to take it" JJ said.

"I know" Spencer replied tensely, "That doesn't mean he wouldn't like me to. Just that he wouldn't think it fair to ask."

JJ hugged him. "He loves you the way you are Spence, never doubt that."

"I know" Spencer replied. He was telling the truth he had no doubt at all that Aaron did love him unconditionally they same way he loved Aaron, that didn't always make the age difference between them easy.

Spencer had been too obsessed with learning everything he could and trapped by his own shyness and insecurities to truly appreciate being young the first time around. This time in the six years he and Aaron had been separated he'd resented his age. Still he'd appreciated the increase in health and fitness that being deaged had given him. The problem was that it highlighted to both he and Aaron the fact that Aaron was getting old, his body didn't cope as well with the normal bumps, bruises and strains of taking down unsubs and took longer to recover. Spencer knew Aaron felt self conscious about this at times as if he was letting Spencer down or holding him back by needing more rest after cases and less active relaxation pursuits.

-o0o-

Morgan walked into Hotch's office after arriving back and showed Hotch a vial of dirty white powder.

"Is this the antidote?" Hotch asked not reaching for it.

"Would you ask Reid to take it if it was?" Morgan asked putting it back into his pocket.

"No" Hotch immediately denied.

"Why not the age difference between you has to be causing problems?" Morgan asked. "Not to mention keeping up with a twenty three year old libido at your age"

"It is a challenge" Hotch admitted, not admitting that he was grateful that viagra wasn't addictive or dangerous to use daily. "It almost destroyed us both for me to deny him when he was fifteen. I can't deny him whatever he wants now."

Morgan grinned wondering whether Reid knew how much power he had over Hotch, or how much guilt drove Hotch's actions in the bedroom.

"You know he was virtually celibate at this age last time. I always figured he didn't have much of a sex drive" Morgan commented.

"You mean we all thought he was asexual?" Hotch asked dryly.

Morgan blushed slightly. "Yeah" he admitted. "He was such a kid. And he lived so much in his intellect it was hard to picture him as a man with physical needs."

"We were wrong, he just didn't have the social skills to pick up one night stands the way you did" Hotch replied. "Not to mention it's always easier to abstain from something you've never tried."

"The age difference seems to worry you more than it does Reid" Morgan commented.

"He tries to laugh it off when we get mistaken for father and son, or he and Jack get mistaken for brothers, but I know it disturbs him" Aaron replied.

"It disturbs him because it upsets you and Jack" Morgan retorted. "He'd be fine with it if you were."

"Mostly" Hotch agreed mildly not mentioning the self hatred such comments caused him.

"He'd take the antidote for you if you asked" Morgan said mildly, hiding how angry he'd be if his friend was asked to take the antidote and reage himself.

Hotch shook his head though not in denial of Morgan's words. "He's still terrified he's going to end up with paranoid schizophrenia and need to be institutionalized. He actually said that one good thing about this is that he had fourteen more years to save so he could go to a decent sanitarium without being a financial burden. The knowledge that he knows he has at least six more years to live before he's at risk of developing it is a comfort to him. I won't take that away" Hotch replied.

Morgan smiled and nodded. "You're a good man Hotch."

"I love him, Morgan. I'd never ask him to do anything so clearly not in his best interest."

Morgan nodded. "There isn't a viable antidote" he said grinning. "Apparently Wilhelm Ecclestone has been working on one for years, but he hasn't come up with one that works. Not to mention we have no idea how much of the stuff the kid breathed in."

"Then what's that?" Hotch asked gesturing to the bottle in Morgan's pocket.

"This is the same chemical that started all this" Morgan explained. "For you if you want it." He put the bottle on the table between them and Hotch hesitantly reached for it.

Hotch felt his heart rate accelerate. "You mean I should deage myself?"

"It would reduce the age gap between the two of you" Morgan said. "I don't know how you'd work out how much to take though so there is a risk involved. We couldn't get dosages out of Ecclestone and if they're written in his notes, they're in a code we haven't cracked. I could hand the notes over to Reid to see if he can work it out. Reid was right by the way, there are notes on the victims we found in Jackson Mississippi. All handwritten."

"Of course he was" Hotch smiled. "But the notes are evidence."

"I could have someone make Reid a copy. It wouldn't harm the case to have Dr Reid decrypt them" Morgan offered.

"Do you need the notes decrypted to make the case?" Hotch asked. "I could have him seconded to you for a day or two."

"Not really, Ecclestone sang like a canary to get the death penalty taken off the table. Gave up all the victims names and where he's buried them. The fourteen we knew about were just the tip of the iceberg, he'll never be released. Did you know that Reid comes over and completes half a dozen or so consults for my team fairly regularly when we're both in town."

Hotch laughed. "No but I should have suspected. I know he refused to do any consults or paperwork for Faulke because she kept treating him like a probationary agent, and Anderson does a pretty good job of keeping up with his own paperwork."

"So did you steal this or…?" Hotch asked holding up the precious vial.

"No I cleared it with Cruz and the Director" Morgan said grinning.

"Cruz was disappointed that there wasn't an antidote and the director suggested that he wasn't sure Reid would want to take it even if there was one. The only reason he could see him taking it was his partner's age and I suggested that now we had the magic chemical the age difference between you could be reduced without re-aging Reid. And pointed out to them that meant they would benefit from your expertise for another fifteen years as well" Morgan said grinning. "I couldn't have given it to you if it was stolen because it would be pretty hard to stop people from noticing if you use it."

Hotch smiled. "So taking this wont get us both fired" he said relieved.

Hotch called Jessica to take Jack for the night and collected Spencer on his way out of the building at seven. "Leave them, you do more than your share" he said when Spencer started to pack up the extra files to take home. They collected Spencer's favourite takeaway on the journey home making Spencer even more suspicious.

"What's going on Aaron?" Spencer asked.

"You know me too well" Aaron said chuckling. "I have something serious I want to talk to you about."

Spencer prayed to the gods he didn't believe in that Hotch wasn't going to ask him to take the antidote to the deaging compound. He'd got used to being the age he was and while he didn't enjoy the looks they got from strangers and acquaintances when they realised he was Aaron's lover not his son, and was frequently frustrated by local law enforcement not taking him seriously he found it a good trade off for the extra lung capacity, the lack of pain in his knee and the lack of physical cravings. He wondered if those injuries would come back if he was reaged or if they'd been erased from his life and he'd stay healthy.

Unfortunately Spencer had been having frequent nightmares for the last week, since Ecclestone had been taken into custody, of being force fed the potion and turning into a psychotic wreck. He was a bundle of nerves and when Aaron said they needed to talk about something he automatically assumed the worst.

"Okay what is it?" Spencer asked.

"It can wait til after we eat" Aaron replied moving to the kitchen and dishing up.

"I'm not hungry" Spencer said his stomach in knots.

Hotch sighed and looked at the pale face and shaking body of his lover. He walked over and took him into his arms. "Spencer I wouldn't never want you to do anything you weren't perfectly happy with" he tried to reassure him.

"I know Aaron" Spencer said curling into him.

"I spoke with Morgan today…" Aaron began.

"He gave you the antidote" Spencer guessed interrupting. "Do I get a choice or are the FBI demanding I take it?"

Aaron was grateful at least that Spencer wasn't blaming him for the situation. "Spencer there is no antidote" he replied reusing to let his love pull away from him.

Spencer looked up into Aaron's face searchingly. "Are you okay with that?" he asked worriedly. If there was no antidote Aaron would always be thirty one years older than him, maybe the reality of that was too much for his lover. Spencer was aware that Aaron often felt guilty about the difference in their libidos and suspected that the older man was pushing himself to have sex for Spencer's sake far more often that he would have wanted to for his own sake thought their was no doubt in Spencer's mind that they both enjoyed their private time together immensely.

"Spencer I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if you somehow got deaged again I don't think I could push you away until you grew up again" Hoch said kissing his lover passionately.

Spencer returned the kiss enthusiastically. Slightly saddened but not surprised not to feel an answering hardness when he involuntarily thrust his erection against Aaron's groin. He tried to control himself not wanting to pressure Aaron into sex.

Aaron stepped back a little sitting on the couch and pulling Spencer to sit beside him. "Morgan gave me a vial of the deaging chemical" he said quietly.

"What?" Spencer asked in shock.

"Morgan gave me a vial of the deaging powder. He thought I might want to deage myself to be closer to your age" Aaron explained. "The director has okayed it. But the problem is that I don't know the dose to take. The notes were encrypted. I have a copy of them for you to read through if you want. Morgan said they don't need them to get a conviction so if you'd rather not know more about it you don't have to."

"I'd like to read them" Spencer said. "I've always rathered face things head on. If he knows of any long term side effects I'd rather know in advance"

"And the chemical?" Aaron asked.

"Please put it somewhere that Jack and I can't come across it. I couldn't bear to be deaged again and Jack could deage himself out of existence if he breathes in too much of it" Spencer said anxiously.

"It's in a locked box which I have locked into the safe in my office" Aaron reassured him. "Would you like me to take it?"

"I don't know. I never even thought of that as an option before this minute. We need to know for sure that it is what we think it is" Spencer replied. "It's been a long time, Ecclestone could've been working on something else for all we know. And then I need to read through the notes and see if we can find some information about the dosage. And you need to be sure you want to do it, and also to decide what age you want to be. I cant recommend that you deage all the way to twenty three, there's no way the FBI would let two agents that young be on the same team. We'd never get taken seriously."

Aaron chuckled at the nervous rambling and kissed him to shut him up.

"Sshh Spencer, calm down we don't need to decide tonight" he said. "I just wanted to know if you'd want me to do it if it turns out to be possible."

"Of course I'd want you to if it's safe" Spencer replied. "I want you to live as long as I do. But you have to want it too. It will be a huge adjustment to make and what if you take too much and become a kid. I would hate to lose what we have again."

"Like I said, even my belief in right and wrong wouldn't be enough to send you away if you suddenly reverted to fifteen again. At least if it were me that was fifteen then we'd be closer in age than we are now."

Spencer chuckled. "I think you should aim for between thirty and thirty five. Old enough to still lead a BAU team and for people to believe you're Jack's father and young enough that people don't think I'm your son. How much powder did Derek give you. I want to run some experiments on it before I let you risk it."

"It's about the size of your migraine tablet bottle" Aaron replied. "I'm happy for you to test it. I think I'd rather aim for about forty."

Spencer nodded. Forty was good, Aaron was forty one when they first met. "So long as we have enough powder left to deage you to forty six or younger to get rid of all the bowel problems Foyet caused" Spencer said.

"That would be a godsend" Aaron agreed.

-o0o-

It took several days for Spencer to decode all of Ecclestone's research papers and several more for the lab to finish testing their sample of the chemical powder before he was asked to present his findings to the task force.

"He's never kept his test subjects alive for more than a couple of months so he and I are the only long term subjects available" Spencer reported. "But from his notes it seems clear that the deaging process is successful at not only deaging the subject but also removing old scars, injuries and chronic illnesses. This chemical is not only a fountain of youth, it's also a cure for cancer, heart disease, lung disease Alzheimer's and every other disease he's tested it against. Of course that doesn't mean the subject wouldn't get those diseases again as they reached the age they got them the first time."

"This could cure the majority of the world's illnesses?" Cruz asked.

"Yeah it could, but at what cost?" Spencer replied.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

"If nobody died of old age, or cancer, heart disease, diabetes then the world would have a population crisis" Spencer said. "In America alone 589,430 died of cancer last year and more than 610,000 people died of heart disease, and more than 234,000 from diabetes related illnesses. That means if we prevented all those deaths our population would increase by an extra 1.4 million people per year, all who are likely to be of employable age, most young adults. And that doesn't include all the other illnesses related to age that could be prevented by this it could be two or three times that number. Could the economy withstand growth like that, not just once but year after year. And countries like China, Japan and India and all the countries that import the bulk of their food supply would be even harder hit. Granted we could save a fortune on health care and aged care but it would also mean the loss of all those jobs as well. Unemployment alone would destroy our society before starvation killed us all."

"So you're saying that this chemical compound should just disappear?" Assistant Director Bob Underwood said.

"I know it seems unethical somehow at fist glance but yes sir I think it should" Reid replied formally as of the two barely knew each other which officially they didn't.

"Even if that meant that Agent Hotchner doesn't use it?" Mateo Cruz asked.

Spencer swallowed hard and nodded. "Even if it means I have to disappear too so there's no proof it ever existed" he said bravely.

"No I don't think that would be necessary, nor would it do any good, too many people already know what happened to you" AD Underwood said.

"How many? How many people could have noticed?" the Director asked.

"I've been teaching at Georgetown for the past eight years so it could be thousands" Spencer replied. "Not to mention that I've met or lectured to thousands of law enforcement officers since I first joined the BAU, if I stay a profiler I will eventually be called in to a situation where one of the local LEO's recognise me from before I was deaged."

"I don't think there's anything to gain from having you leave the FBI" Mateo Cruz said wanting to keep one of his best agents in his section. "And having Agent Hotchner make use of the chemical compound wouldn't increase the risk of it getting out that much. It's not as if either of you could replicate the compound."

"Actually I probably could if I tried" Spencer replied. "I've been running tests on the sample you've given Agent Hotchner to certify that it is what Ecclestone said it was and that it's safe for human consumption, and what the safe dosage is and what the correct dose would be to deage Aaron Hotchner the number of years he wants to go back. After all he normally kills his test subjects either during his experiment or when he's finished with them so we know he wasn't concerned about their safety, I wanted to be sure he hadn't accidentally or deliberately contaminated his most recent sample."

"I'll add agreeing never to attempt to replicate the compound in any way to your non disclosure agreement. And you'll hand over all of your research notes to be locked away with Ecclestone's research" the FBI lawyer said making a note.

"Yes Sir" Spencer agreed.

"Are you giving permission for Hotch to use the sample he already has?" Morgan asked.

"I can't see why he would want to" one of the scientists involved said.

Those that had the power discussed it quietly for a moment. "Agent Hotchner you have permission to use the chemical compound if you so choose" they declared. "We would prefer that you kept the number of years to a minimum so as not to draw too much attention. And to deny the possibility of the chemical compound if asked. Perhaps you could claim a superior plastic surgeon."

Reid and Morgan burst into uncontrollable laughter, "Sorry sir but nobody who knows Hotch would believe that. He doesn't have that sort of vanity."

Aaron smiled at his lover.

-o0o-

"You're sure you want to do this?" Spencer asked for the hundredth time. "Don't do it just for me." Spencer had conducted exhaustive tests on half the powder in the bottle. He'd even given some of it to Clooney, Morgan's much loved very elderly dog and turned him back into a fit young dog who Morgan had had reregistered as Clooney 2. He was as sure as he could possibly be that the powder was the same as the one he'd breathed in eight years ago and was safe to take.

"Spencer for another thirty years with you yes I'm sure" Aaron said.

"It's going to hurt like hell" Spencer warned him.

"I know, now stay in the bedroom so you don't accidentally breath any of it in" Aaron ordered his lover.

Aaron stripped off his clothes and threw them in the hamper in the bedroom before going into the bathroom which had been cleared of all moveable objects. He snorted the powder up his nose through a straw then pinched his nose to stop himself from sneezing it all back out. "How on earth do people think this is a good idea" he gasped.

"Don't ask me I never tried snorting the stuff. Hankle had me hooked on injecting it" Spencer said dryly through the door.

"Sorry" Aaron said knowing Spencer hated being reminded of his past weakness. He carefully washed out the vial and used a wet rag to wipe down all the surfaces of the bathroom vanity before sealing the vial and rag in a plastic bag and stepping into the shower to rinse off his skin, collapsing onto the floor of the shower as the pain overtook him.

Spencer ran in dressed in his pyjamas and gathered his lover gently into his arms. "It's fine Aaron" Spencer said gently running his hand through Aaron's hair.

Spencer sat with him holding his hand talking him through the pain as he had promised. It wasn't as bad for Aaron as it had been for Spencer because he wasn't deaging far enough for his bones to change size and soon Aaron lay on the bed panting. "I think that's over" he said. "How do I look?"

"Amazingly hot and sexy" Spencer said roaming his eyes over his lovers newly young and scar free body. "I think you might have gone back further than you were planning though." He helped his lover up and they walked out to the full length mirror on the wardrobe door.

"I look about twenty eight or nine" Hotch replied relieved. For a moment after Spencer's statement he'd gone further than he wanted he'd been frightened he'd been turned into a teenager as well.

Spencer looked away refusing to meet his eyes. "Spencer? I know you wouldn't do this on purpose so what are you looking guilty about?" Aaron asked.

"You trusted me to calculate the right amount and I got it wrong" Spencer said his mind trying furiously to work out where he'd gone wrong. "I think the problem is I calculated the amount from the experiments, I didn't take into account that you were snorting the powder voluntarily not just breathing it in and therefore a larger amount of the dose made it into your bloodstream. I'm sorry Aaron."

Aaron sighed looking at his younger reflection in the mirror before looking across at his dejected looking boyfriend. "It's okay Spencer. I must say I feel amazingly well" he comforted him. "And unbelievably horny. I'd forgotten how much impact my hormones had at this age."

Spencer grinned. "I'm sure I can help you take care of that" he offered.

Hotch grinned and stripped Spencer's wet pyjama's off him before picking him up and carrying him to their bed.

-o0o-

"Spencer will you marry me?" Aaron asked as they cuddled quietly after several intense rounds of sex.

"I would have married you before you know. Even if they'd never found Ecclestone and his chemical compound" Spencer said slightly hurt that Aaron had waited until he was deaged to ask.

"Yes I know that you would have accepted if I'd asked Spencer" Aaron confirmed. "I just didn't feel right asking you to tie your life to an old man."

"It didn't matter to me" Spencer protested.

"Eventually it would have mattered Spencer. You grew up being the carer for your mother, I didn't want you to spend the prime of your life being carer for your elderly husband" Aaron said.

"Because being the carer of my elderly boyfriend that I don't have the legal right to make decisions for would have been so much better" Spencer said sarcastically.

Aaron sighed. "You know I didn't mean that. I wanted you to have the ability to walk away and I know that if you married me you never would."

"Aaron I've been in this relationship for ten years. This has been permanent for me for a long time" Spencer said earnestly. "I didn't need to be married to know I was never going to walk away from you and Jack."

"I know you're not a big fan of rings or being the centre of attention. We don't have to have a big ceremony, but I would like our family to be there"

"I'd wear a ring for you if you wanted me to" Spencer said, "And we could ask Rossi if we could have the ceremony at his house. He did a really nice job with JJ and Will's wedding."

"So you will?" Aaron asked again nervously.

"Of course I will" Spencer replied pulling Aaron down for a passionate kiss.

"I haven't bought you an engagement ring" Aaron said apologetically.

"I think a wedding ring would be enough for me. I don't want an engagement ring as well" Spencer replied. "I'm not a girl Aaron. But we can go shopping for rings this weekend if it will make you feel better."

-o0o-

"I don't know what Jack's going to say" Aaron said as they drove to pick him up.

"About your new look or about the wedding?" Spencer asked.

"About my new age. I expected he'll be fine with us getting married. Do you think he wont be?" Aaron replied anxiously.  
"I think he'll like the idea of us being married, if he has an opinion at all. As to the deaging don't worry. You're his Dad. He's probably going to think it's cool that you have more energy to run around and practice soccer with him but other than that he isn't going to care unless you treat him differently" Spencer replied reassuringly. "He didn't care when I was deaged and that was more a dramatic change than this. He just told me I was still a big person to him."

-o0o-

"Oh my!" Jessica said opening the door. She'd known Aaron was going to take the deaging powder but the reality of him standing there looking about twenty five years younger than he had yesterday was still a shock.  
Aaron and Spencer grinned. "It's great isn't it?" Spencer said.  
"You do look great Aaron but it's a bit more than I'd expected" Jessica replied.  
"It's more of a change than I expected too. I hadn't noticed changing sizes but none of my current suits fit" Aaron admitted.  
"Jack, pack up your things Aaron and Spencer are here" Jessica called.  
"Dad" Jack ran up to look at his father.  
"Hey Jack" Aaron said hoisting him up and almost over his head because it was so much easier than the day before.  
"Careful" Spencer warned.

"Did that happen to you?" Aaron asked curiously.

"No, the opposite actually, everything seemed so much heavier than it used to be" Spencer replied. "I thought I was scrawny and weak at twenty nine but at fifteen it seemed I had no muscle mass at all."

"You certainly have more muscle mass now than you did at this age last time" Aaron commented looking over his lover admiringly.

Spencer blushed. "I certainly worked hard for it. I never really appreciated the benefits of exercise until I was in therapy after I got shot in the knee last time and then between my knee and my lungs there was a limit on how much I could do."

-o0o-

Hotch's new look caused a minor sensation when they arrived at work on Monday. They'd travelled in together as usual, and were calmly pretending that nothing had changed. As luck would have it this was one of the rare days that all three BAU teams were at Quantico.  
Morgan had been hanging about to catch a glimpse of him, knowing they'd planned to use the stuff this weekend. "Hey man looking good" he exclaimed slapping his now younger than him, former boss on the shoulder. "It's a little more than I expected" he added quietly.

"It's my fault" Hotch said quickly. "Spencer calculated the dose on my breathing it in normally but I snorted the stuff to make sure none of it was left in the room where Spencer or Jack could breathe it in so I got more of the dose into my blood stream than Spence had calculated for."

"I should have thought to tell him to breathe normally" Spencer said guiltily.

"It's all good, he didn't turn into a teenager" Morgan said teasingly.

"Oh my God, You look hot… Sir" Garcia said excitedly. Blushing madly when she realised what she'd said.

"Back off Garcia he's all mine. But he does doesn't he" Spencer said grinning.

Morgan looked at both of them, they looked amazingly happy and relaxed together. "Obviously deaging sorted out the problem you were having keeping up with him" he said quietly to Hotch as Spencer and Garcia were hugging JJ.

Hotch coloured slightly. "Yes" he admitted tersely.

"You both look happy" Morgan said.

"We are" Hotch confirmed.

"How'd Jack take it?" JJ asked.

"He was fine with it until we went to soccer training and Aaron got mobbed which he thought was strange and a bit upsetting" Spencer said.

"Jack didn't seem to pay much attention when Spencer got deaged either" Hotch replied. "I guess I'm still old from his point of view."

JJ laughed. "You're still his Dad. So long as you still behave like his Dad he'll be fine."  
Anderson did a double take as he walked past but didn't say anything.

"What happened to you? Sir?" Faulke asked.  
"Morgan frowned at her rudeness towards their former boss and was glad she wasn't on either of their teams.  
"Apparently Reid's contagious" Hotch replied dismissively. Faulke didn't have the clearance to know about the chemical compound (all evidence of which was now locked up in Fort Detrick with the other potential biological weapons).  
Reid and Morgan exchanged amused grins as Faulke looked quickly at Reid and took a step away from him.

"That's what you're going with. Reid's contagious?" JJ asked laughing. She knew they weren't allowed to tell anybody about the chemical compound but…"

"It makes more sense than telling people that they're imagining the changes and expecting them to believe it" Hotch offered making them all laugh again. "Or that I've somehow managed to have cosmetic surgery without any time off."

"Lucky you're carrying Reid. You're going to be fighting middle-aged women off with a baseball bat if they think fucking you will make them look twenty years younger" Morgan said.

Aaron frowned at that but Spencer only laughed. "Good thing you taught me how to swing a baseball bat properly then" he told Morgan making everyone laugh harder.

"I shouldn't have said it. I hadn't thought about the risk to you. If the scientists thought you had this chemical in your blood and could pass it on then who knows what they'd do to keep it from being discovered" Hotch said thoughtfully.

Spencer nodded. "Faulke was the only one who didn't know you were kidding and nobody's going to take her seriously if she says anything" he said reassuringly.

"I wont say it again but you have to admit it was funny" Hotch said grinning.

Spencer and the others laughed.

"You look younger than me" JJ complained.

"Sorry JJ. At least I still look older than Spencer" Aaron teased.

Spencer laughed. "Thankfully" he said. "I've never been attracted to younger men."

Aaron laughed too. "So long as you think I'm old enough for you then I'm happy."

"I love you" Spencer said kissing him. "I'd think you are perfect at any age."

"I love you too Spencer" Aaron said deepening the kiss. And the best thing is that barring being killed in the line of duty or an accident we could have the next sixty years or more together.

"Funny. I don't remember you being this relaxed before" Morgan teased laughing.

-o0o-

"I can't believe how many women hit on you today. I'm going to have to get you that baseball bat to drive them away" Spencer said as he and Aaron ate dinner in 'their' room in the precinct the next day.

Aaron laughed. "I don't remember this being such an issue last time I was twenty nine" he complained.  
Spencer laughed "look on the bright side. When I was deaged I used to get hit on by twelve year old girls. You've no idea how awkward it felt."  
"About as awkward as having a fifteen year old boy try to seduce you" Hotch retorted.

"Yeah the difference there was you were worried I'd succeed. I refuse to apologise for that again by the way. Twelve year old girls do nothing for me. It was just freaky" Spencer replied.

Aaron laughed. "Yes I'm sure they'd frighten me too" he said superciliously.

Spencer maturely stuck his tongue out and dropped the subject but unfortunately they were then approached by yet another female detective who totally ignored Reid to flirt with Hotch.

"Seriously" Aaron exclaimed. "It wasn't like this…"

"You were probably just used to ignoring it. You're not used to being young and sexy anymore" he teased. "And of course you were wearing a wedding ring and from what Rossi said when he came back, probably on the phone to your wife at every opportunity."  
Aaron nodded. "Probably" he agreed mildly. "I could ring you half a dozen times a day but I doubt it would help. The wedding ring might though."  
"I don't mean to push you" he added a moment later.  
"Don't worry the women flirting don't worry me except when they do it right in front of me and I don't feel pushed into anything, I want to get married Aaron. You probably right about the wedding ring though."  
Hotch just shook his head reassured that it wasn't upsetting his partner.

"I would like to get married in Vegas so Mom can be there" Spencer said quietly.

"Just the three of us and Jack or do you want an actual wedding?" Aaron asked agreeably.

"Nothing big but I wouldn't mind having JJ, Garcia, Emily, Morgan and Rossi, and Jessica" Spencer decided. "Though I expect it will be impossible for Morgan to come, they never take two teams off rotation at once."

"I'll talk to Cruz when we get back" Aaron said.

The End.

A/N: Thank you to Catcat1520, Padfoot-Mooney-Pronglet and DixiePixie2011 for your support.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I recently read a story which I had read in the past though both the title and the name of the person posting it were different. When I accused the new 'author' of plagiarism they replied that they never claimed to have written the story and the original owner "never said that i couldn't share the story it's self. Beside's they put it out their for people's entertainment if they wanted people to know who wrote it they would tell." They then proceded to tell me off for making a false accusation. Needless to say I then reported them.

So to make it perfectly clear. THIS IS MY STORY AND NOBODY HAS PERMISSION TO POST IT ANY WHERE ELSE OR REPOST IT ON THIS SITE UNDER ANY NAME. And I stand by my words that only a despicable human being would steal another person's work in this way.

A/N2: For anybody who has read or followed my other stories please be aware that I am not updating them just adding the above notification of ownership over the next day or so. I apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience.


End file.
